Manchester United have won the League Cup for a fifth time

Zlatan Ibrahimovic's late winner secured the EFL Cup and gave Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho his first success since his summer appointment, as brave Southampton were beaten at Wembley.

Southampton were the better side for most of this final but were left heartbroken by a controversial offside decision - and the inspiration provided by the 35-year-old Swede as he took his tally to 26 goals this season.

Saints' striker Manolo Gabbiadini saw a goal contentiously ruled out before United took an undeserved two-goal lead through Ibrahimovic's superb 19th minute free-kick and Jesse Lingard's measured finish seven minutes before the interval.

Southampton, as their performance merited, were on terms with two predatory strikes from Gabbiadini either side of half-time.

Oriel Romeu hit the woodwork before Ibrahimovic stole in on Ander Herrera's cross three minutes from time to give United a victory that looked beyond them for long spells.

Mourinho back in winners' enclosure

Mourinho was a subdued figure throughout this final - perhaps unable to disguise his discontent at what was a wretched performance by United for the most part at Wembley.

Inside, however, he will be ecstatic at holding silverware aloft once more, making himself a success with United in his first season at Old Trafford and performing the same trick he used at Chelsea to ease any pressure on himself and reassure supporters they have a winner at the helm.

Mourinho made it his business to target this trophy in his first season at Chelsea, beating Liverpool in the 2005 final, and it was his first success in his second spell at Stamford Bridge as Spurs were beaten here at Wembley in the 2015 final.

He is now level with Sir Alex Ferguson and Brian Clough as the most successful manager in the League Cup after his fourth triumph and takes another step on the road to rehabilitation after his sacking at Chelsea last season.

He had a warm, sympathetic exchange with his Southampton counterpart Claude Puel at the final whistle, the realist Mourinho probably realising United were outplayed for large portions of a highly entertaining final.

Jose Mourinho is the first manager in Manchester United's history to win a major trophy in his first season

It will not mention that in the record books, though.

Mourinho is back among the silverware as this serial winner puts his name on United's honours board.

Zlatan the talisman

Ibrahimovic was Manchester United's man with the Midas touch, dragging them from a mire of mediocrity with his 25th and 26th goals of the season, as he secured his first success in England.

He is the leader of this developing United side, no argument brooked as team-mates stood back to let him send a 19th-minute free-kick past Southampton keeper Fraser Forster from 25 yards - although the effort was within reach of the giant stopper.

And in the closing moments, when Wembley looked for a match-winner to decide a thrilling final and prevent extra time, it was Ibrahimovic who found space among tiring Southampton defenders to power Ander Herrera's cross past Forster from six yards.

It was a goal that cements his cult status among United fans and confirms Mourinho's masterstroke in luring him to Old Trafford in one of the greatest free transfers the Premier League has seen.

United looked jaded as they were in Europa League action in Saint-Etienne on Thursday, while Saints had a two-week break - Zlatan helped refresh tired legs.

Media playback is not supported on this device Can Ibrahimovic inspire cup treble?

Lady luck deserts superb Saints

Southampton's players dropped to their knees in desolation at the final whistle - and who could blame them after a superb performance left them with nothing but heartbreak?

They will complain long and hard about the decision to rule out Gabbiadini's first-half effort - a poacher's strike ruled out for offside against Ryan Bertrand, who was way out of the action at the far post while the Italian was clearly onside.

They shrugged off that disappointment to restore parity either side of half-time through the predatory Gabbiadini but had no luck whatsoever, Romeu's header bouncing back off the post with David de Gea well beaten.

Manolo Gabbiadini has scored five times in three appearances for Southampton since joining from Napoli

De Gea saved well from James Ward-Prowse and Dusan Tadic and United had several near-misses before snatching victory right at the death.

Southampton can be proud of one of the finest performances in defeat the modern Wembley has seen - but that will be no consolation to Puel's devastated players.

Man of the Match - Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Manchester United)

Zlatan Ibrahimovic provided the attacking threat which proved wrong those who felt his days as a big-game player were over. Lovely goal from a free-kick to open the scoring and a great header to clinch the trophy.

'This is what I came for' - reaction

Manchester United match-winner Zlatan Ibrahimovic: "This is a team effort. This is what I came for - to win, and I am winning. The more I win the more satisfied I get.

"You appreciate it more the older you get. Wherever I have gone I have won. I think this is trophy number 32 for me. This is what I predicted. My friend, I keep doing it. I'm enjoying it in England."

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho: "Honestly, Ibrahimovic won the game for us because he was outstanding. I can see a couple of performances - Pogba similar level - but he was outstanding.

"In a match where the opponent was better than us for long periods - they deserved to go to extra time - he made the difference and he gave us the cup.

"I'm a bit emotional yes. It's not easy to win titles and so many times. It's not easy to cope with the pressure I put myself under.

"It was a game I was feeling the difficulty. I want to pay homage to Southampton and what they deserve. We have the cup in our hands and probably should be in extra time."

Southampton manager Claude Puel: "We came back with quality. Perhaps we deserve better. It's football and congratulations to Manchester United and their players.

"Manolo Gabbiadini scored three good goals [including the disallowed goal]. There's a lot of disappointment of course. We had a fantastic game without the reward. I hope we can continue on this level."

Why Lingard loves Wembley - the stats

Jesse Lingard has scored in each of his past three appearances at Wembley for Manchester United (2016 FA Cup Final, Community Shield and League Cup final this season).

Jose Mourinho has won all four of the League Cup finals he has contested (2005, 2007, 2015 and 2017).

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has now scored six goals in his past five domestic cup finals (four goals in four games with PSG).

These were Ibrahimovic's 25th and 26th goals of the season in all competitions, the most of any Premier League player this season.

Ibrahimovic's opening goal was the first Southampton have conceded in the League Cup this season, going 468 minutes without shipping a goal in the competition.

Manolo Gabbiadini is the fourth Italian to score in the League Cup final (Fabrizio Ravanelli, Roberto di Matteo and Fabio Borini the others).

Gabbiadini is the second player to score twice in a League Cup final against Manchester United after Dean Saunders.

Manchester United have won each of their past six games at Wembley.

Only Liverpool (8) have won the League Cup more times than Manchester United (5).

What's next?

It's back to Old Trafford for Manchester United's cup winners, with Bournemouth the Premier League visitors on Saturday (12:30 GMT).

On the same day, Southampton turn their attention back to the league when they face Watford at Vicarage Road (15:00 GMT).</s>The 2017 EFL Cup final means different things to Manchester United and Southampton.

The teams will face off Sunday at Wembley Stadium in the 2017 English Football League Cup Final, which offers teams the first chance to win a major trophy in the English soccer season.

For Manchester United, winning the game would mark Jose Mourinho’s first trophy as the Red Devils’ manager and a step in the club’s ascent toward its heights of yesteryear.

Southampton hasn’t won a major trophy since 1976. Victory over Manchester United would give the Saints and their fans a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to march out of a stadium with silverware.

Here’s how to watch Manchester United vs. Southampton online.

When: Sunday, Feb. 26, at 11:30 a.m. ET

 Live Stream: FuboTV</s>It’s finally here: the final of the English Football League cup! Manchester United will battle Southampton in Wembley Stadium on Feb. 26, with the winner raising the cup in glory! It’s going to be wild so don’t miss a single second!

It’s the first silverware of the season, and both Manchester United and Southampton FC want to leave Wembley Stadium with the EFL Cup. Jose Mourinho, 54, will push his side to bring the cup back to Old Trafford, while Southampton manager Claude Puel, 55, is in the hunt for his second managerial win against Man U. It’s go big or go home, so when the game kicks off at 11:30 AM ET, be sure you tune in to see who wins the cup!

Manchester United hasn’t won the EFL cup since 2010. Since then, Birmingham City, Liverpool, Swansea City, Chelsea and Manchester City have claimed the EFL title. The Red Devils have four titles under their belt, while The Saints have yet to win their first League cup. This is their first trip to Wembley in over 40 years, according to the Telegraph, so they want to make it a good one.

Southampton may not have as many cup wins, but they got to the final with an impressive victory over Liverpool, putting the Reds away 2-0 on aggregate. They’ve reached this final without conceding a single goal, indicating that the Saints’ defense may be heaven sent. If Nathan Redmond, 22, can score the winning goal like he did in the second leg against Liverpool, it would leave many of Southampton’s fans going “Hallelujah!”

Of course, the Red Devils may just put the Saints through hell. While Wayne Rooney, 31, is unlikely to star this match due to lingering injuries, according to the Express, the team still has Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 35, Marcus Rashford, 19, and Juan Mata, 28, as potential offensive threats.

Who do you want to win the EFL Cup, HollywoodLifers? Do you want Manchester United to claim the silverware or do you think it’s Southampton’s year?</s>Hello, and welcome tolive coverage of the EFL Cup final between Southampton and Manchester United.Jose Mourinho claims that he has already won a trophy with United after claiming the Community Shield but in many people's eyes, this is his opportunity to break his duck at Old Trafford.The Portuguese has already won three League Cups as manager of Chelsea but while his team are favourites to win at Wembley Stadium, they face a Southampton team who are yet to concede a goal in this year's competition.The Saints have beaten the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool in order to reach the final, and Claude Puel will back his side to complete the job on Sunday afternoon.: De Gea, Valencia, Bailly, Smalling, Rojo, Herrera, Pogba, Lingard, Mata, Martial, IbrahimovicRomero, Blind, Young, Carrick, Fellaini, Rooney, Rashford: Forster, Soares, Yoshida, Stephens, Bertrand, Romeu, Davis, Ward-Prowse, Tadic, Redmond, GabbiadiniHassen, Long, Rodriguez, Caceres, Boufal, Hojbjerg, McQueenTo their credit, Southampton are straight back onto the offensive but nothing comes from a corner. It's going to be difficult for them to channel their emotions after the last 10 minutes. They should be leading, yet they are behind.This is going to do little to improve Puel's mood. United take the lead against the run of play as Ibrahimovic curls a free kick into the corner for his 25th goal of the season. He's barely featured in this match but what's it matter when he can do that?Romeu goes into the referee's book for a late challenge on Herrera. Ibrahimovic is going to have a chance to shoot on goal from 25 yards out.Puel looks really hard done by on the touchline and so he should. His team are having the better of the play as well but United have come back into it over the past minute.Looking back at replays of the goal which was ruled out, it's a terrible decision from the assistant. He had no hesitation in raising his flag but he has got it badly wrong. Massive let-off for United.Controversy at Wembley! Southampton have the ball in the net but it has wrongly been chalked off! Soares's miscued shot finds the run of Gabbiadini and he converts from close range. He's onside, but the assistant has ruled that Bertrand - who was standing behind him - was offside. Puel will be fuming.Better from Southampton as Redmond gets a shot on goal from 20 yards but it is deflected marginally wide of the post. A couple of corners follow but United defend them well.United are starting to dominate possession now. They are attempting to draw Southampton out because they are currently defending relatively deep but so far, it's working.Southampton can't afford to gift Pogba this kind of shooting opportunity. Ibrahimovic tees up the Frenchman to get an effort on goal from 25 yards but his well-struck attempt is straight at Forster.Southampton get us underway.</s>The EFL Cup final takes place at Wembley on Sunday with Manchester United taking on Southampton for the first major silverware of the season.

But how do the two teams match up? Sportsmail casts our eye over the probable starting line-ups to assess the strengths and weaknesses.

One of the greatest goalkeepers in the world, who is still wanted by Spanish giants Real Madrid.

Jose Mourinho won’t let him go without a fight, though, and De Gea is set to start in the final on Sunday. When his defenders look back at him in goal, they will feel they are in good hands.

An asset for Southampton between the sticks with the Premier League club having conceded only one goal more than Liverpool and two than Manchester City this season.

Against Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Co, though, the 28-year-old will be tested.

There’s been a tale of two full-backs at United this season. While Luke Shaw’s stock has fallen on the left, Valencia’s has risen on the right.

Valencia is their first choice in this position after years of terrorising the right wing. For his form this season, we give him a seven and a half.

There is a reason why Barcelona are apparently looking at Soares, 25, as a summer signing.

The Euro 2016 winner with Portugal is on their right-back radar because he has shown potential. He is a shock name on the Spanish side’s shopping list but will want to show what he can do.

Not consistent – just look at the criticism he received after the game against Blackburn in the FA Cup – but is set to start on Sunday.

Is he reliable? Will Southampton’s attackers fancy their chances against the centre-back? Either way, Mourinho is relying on him now.

A rising star from the Southampton academy, who stunned Liverpool in the EFL Cup semi-final second leg. After a nervous opening, he settled, and his talent shone through.

Standing in for the injured Virgil van Dijk, the 23-year-old starlet, who is still in the early stages of his career, is to face United.

A fine summer signing by Mourinho with Bailly having impressed since his move to the Premier League.

The 22-year-old was sent off against Saint-Etienne in the Europa League on Thursday but will have to put that out of his mind as he faces Southampton.

This will be a tough job for Yoshida and Stephens, with the pair to have to handle Ibrahimovic, Juan Mata, Anthony Martial and Co.

Yoshida has played every minute of Southampton’s EFL Cup campaign, helping them keep five consecutive clean sheets. A lucky charm?

It seems no left-back is safe at Old Trafford. Amid the situation surrounding Shaw, there are now reports that Blind will be next to be given the boot.

The Holland international is set to start on Sunday, however, as he looks to clinch silverware.

No major issues at left back for Southampton, though, who will turn to Bertrand.

The 27-year-old, formerly of Chelsea, spoke previously about how playing in the centre feels natural to him. On Sunday, he will be needed on the wing. A busy day ahead for him.

One key battle of Sunday’s showdown will be between Herrera and Oriol Romeu. Both play pivotal roles for the respective teams.

Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante raised the profile of the deep midfielder and a lot of eyes will be on Herrera when he goes up against Southampton. An eight out of 10 from us.

Romeu, the former Barcelona and Chelsea player, has thrived on the south coast since signing for Southampton.

The 25-year-old is a shield for the Saints defence and, if United are to win this, then they will have to break down this barrier.

The £89million man who is starting to show why he cost such a pretty penny. Pogba’s passing and link-up play with Ibrahimovic is beginning to pay off.

We’ve gone for 4-2-3-1 here, but if Mourinho opts for a 4-3-2-1, Pogba could play as a left midfielder in the middle three.

Never easy being compared to the world’s most expensive footballer. Here we have Davis, the 32-year-old midfielder for Southampton.

With the star names on show for United, this will be tough for Davis, but a time for him to show he can handle it.

Mata is now one of Mourinho’s key men, a crucial component ahead of Sunday’s final.

He will look to use his creativity to open up a Southampton side whose defence has shown itself to be rock solid in the competition.

Ward-Prowse is aiming to make Southampton history. He was with them for the less extravagant days and is now hungry for the EFL Cup trophy.

The 22-year-old will look to give United left-back Blind an uncomfortable afternoon at Wembley.

With Henrik Mkhitaryan a major doubt, Rooney could start for United amid his links to the Chinese Super League.

Say what you want about Rooney but the England international is still useful. We have him at eight out of 10 for what he can bring to the table against Southampton.

On his day, Tadic can destroy a team, which United will remember when his winner condemned them to defeat at Old Trafford in January 2016.

He was praised for his performance against Sunderland, with Claude Puel labelling it his ‘best game’ of the season. Another one of those on Sunday would be helpful for Southampton.

Mourinho challenged Martial in press conferences to prove why he should play and, on Sunday, the winger is set to get his chance.

First-team opportunities haven’t always been gifted to him and so he’s had to wait for games. The 21-year-old is starting to show signs of improvement after a slow start to this season.

Fresh from winning the England Under-21 Player of the Year award, Redmond is now aiming to cause United problems. His and Valencia’s battle should be worth watching on Sunday.

Redmond wants to build on Southampton’s momentum after their win over Sunderland.

There were plenty of pundits who thought the Premier League would prove too tough for Ibrahimovic at the age of 35. How he’s silenced them.

Ibrahimovic, heading for a sixth successive season of 30 goals or more, is lethal. A nine and a half out of 10 from us.

Southampton, though, have their own star striker in Gabbiadini. The £14m deadline day signing has scored three times in two appearances.

The Italian scored twice in the game against Sunderland and goes into this in fine form, with Puel banking on him being the difference if Southampton are to win.</s>Zlatan Ibrahimovic's late goal meant that Manchester United are now the most successful team in England.

It took a late winner from Zlatan Ibrahimovic to seal the deal for Manchester United at Wembley, who managed to beat Southampton 3-2 to win the 5th league cup in their history. The Red Devils went 2-0 up thanks to goals from the Swedish striker and Jesse Lingard, but the Saints levelled it with a brace from Manolo Gabbiadini who scored on either sides of half-time.

Ultimately, it was left to United’s star forward, who is now the highest goal scorer in England this season, to head the ball home after a brilliant cross from Ander Herrera. The win not only saw Manchester United overtake Liverpool as the country’s most successful domestic club with 42 trophies, but also placed Jose Mourinho in the company of Sir Alex Ferguson and Brian Clough as the only manager to have won four league cup trophies.

Here are the 5 things we learnt from the game:

No matter how expensively assembled your squad is, it is always a mammoth challenge to deal with playing in four different competitions at the same time. Manchester United have been doing just that, and the results have been pretty satisfying so far.

They are 6th in the league, but are only five points away from 2nd place and are in the Round of 16 of the Europa League as well. The way United’s midfield got run over by Steven Davis and Oriol Romeu last night pointed clearly to the fact that exhaustion had set in, as the Red Devils had to play four games since the last time Southampton played theirs.

Mourinho summed it up succinctly when he said that the win meant he has one less competition to worry about. The coming few weeks will see them face Bournemouth in the league, FC Rostov in the Europa League, and Chelsea in the FA Cup, things are only going to get tougher and it will be interesting to see how Mourinho copes with it.</s>There cannot be any room for errors in the EFL Cup final as Manchester United take on Southampton for the first silverware of the season at Wembley on Sunday, February 26. Both the managers, Jose Mourinho and Claude Puel, will be keen to get the best out of their teams in the final, for which they need to pick their best possible starting XI.

Manchester United do not have many problems as most of their star players are available for the EFL Cup final. However, they are set to miss the services of Henrikh Mkhitarayan due to hamstring injury, and Phil Jones' participation in the title-decider is yet unknown as the decision to play him or not will only be made a few hours before the final.

Jones has a foot problem, but if the player can prove his match fitness, he could play an integral role at the heart of the United's defence in the EFL Cup final.

However, it remains to be seen if the United start with their talismanic forward Wayne Rooney, who did not feature for them in their Europa League clash against St. Etienne. It could be a straight fight between Rooney and Anthony Martial for a place in the starting XI, and the Englisman's experience could help him stay ahead in the race.

Southampton are missing several players like Virgil Van Dijk, Matt Targett, Charlie Austin and Jason McCarthy who all have long-term injuries, but that does not mean they are going to be a weak side.

One could also see Martin Caceres, who joined only last week, could make his Southampton debut in the all-important EFL Cup final. He could form a central defensive partnership alongside Maya Yoshida, and the former Barcelona player can bring in the much-needed experienced at the back for the Saints.

The attacking duo of Manolo Gabbiadini and Nathan Redmond will start against the Red Devils, and Southampton's manager Puel will pin his hopes on the Italian for goals in the EFL Cup final.</s>The season's first major trophy is up for grabs when Manchester United and Southampton face off at Wembley Stadium in the EFL Cup final.

United are on course for a cup treble this term, having also progressed in the FA Cup and Europa League, and will be favourites to lift the League Cup for a fifth time.

Southampton meanwhile are chasing their first major trophy since beating United in the 1976 FA Cup final and will be encouraged having already knocked out Liverpool and Arsenal this term. Follow all the action here.</s>Andrei Kanchelskis is backing Manchester United to win the EFL Cup on Sunday because the club is still in his heart.

The Russian won seven trophies in a four-and-a-half year spell at Old Trafford and helped the Reds win their first League Cup trophy 25 years ago.

The winger went on to play for eight different clubs after he left United and even had a short spell with Southampton in 2003.

Although Jose Mourinho's side have been tipped to climb the Wembley steps as cup winners, Kanchelskis feels United will have to be at their best.

"I think it is an interesting game," he told M.E.N Sport.

"Southampton is a club that's improving every season with a nice stadium, money to buy good quality players.

"It's not like before with Southampton bottom of the league every season with relegation, no relegation.

"A final is a final - it's only one game. Every player must concentrate for the game, no mistakes, just concentration for 90 minutes."

Kanchelskis has fond memories of his time at Old Trafford and is still in touch with a number of friends back in Manchester.

The 48-year-old, who recently managed FC Solyaris Moscow, returned to the north west in November to watch the Reds' win over Feyenoord.

And although he is one of just five players to have played for both clubs in the Premier League era, there is only one team Kanchelskis is supporting come kick-off.

"I didn't play many games at Southampton and I moved to Saudi Arabia," he explains.

"For me it's Manchester United. It's my team, it's still in my heart. I still support Manchester United.

"I remember great days, great people. I had a great time and also won a lot of titles in Manchester."

Get all the latest Manchester United news first with our new app. Download it here now.</s>Fatigued, tired, mentally weak; phrases we see thrown around on an increasing basis as managers and pundits look for reasons why teams underperform. And what's to blame? Many will say fixture congestion. With most of the top Premier League sides embroiled in either the Champions League or the Europa League, as well as the much loved FA Cup, the EFL Cup can often be overlooked.

It's fair to say José Mourinho enjoys the occasionally moan, but this season is still battling on four fronts - albeit the Premier League title now looking nigh on impossible. This year he has managed to get the balance right between rotating his squad enough to protect from injuries, but not to weaken it too much to fall foul of a cup upset. Compared to the aforementioned FA Cup, the EFL Cup gets less coverage, attention and crowd numbers but leaves plenty of hurdles for the biggest teams to overcome.

In their run to Sunday's final Manchester United have encountered the likes of Northampton Town, but also Premier League rivals West Ham United and a resurgent Hull City. Ultimately both Manchester United and Southampton have succeeded where others have failed, and both sides would be delighted were the trophy to be going home with them at full time on Sunday.

League Cup can be just one of many

Mourinho may have far greater plans for the Red Devils than a League Cup victory, but it gives the squad some much-needed confidence after the turmoil at the club since Sir Alex Ferguson's departure. Many have described the air around Old Trafford as a new era since Mourinho’s arrival, and that will only be fuelled further with a piece of silverware. Often forgotten too are the fans. For Southampton, it's a rare sight of silverware with top ten Premier League placings thought of as a success. With the unpredictability of the FA Cup, the League Cup provides another chance for fans to experience the memorable feeling of a day out with their club at Wembley - the home of English football.

For Manchester United, there's more to Sunday's game than just a win. Not only could it signal the start of Mourinho's era at United, it would also put him alongside the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Brian Clough in winning the League Cup a record fourth time. For the club itself, a win would mean them leapfrogging Liverpool as the most successful English club with 42 major trophies.

Another overused term in modern day football is a ‘winning mentality’, but in this case. perhaps it is perfectly justified. For the likes of Northampton Town, the EFL Cup could be the highlight of their season, the chance to knock out a club with millions of pounds more resources and astounding player transfer fees they could only dream of. Manchester United arrived to win the game, as true professionals focused on getting into the next round and not their opposition or the headlines they could have made for all the wrong reasons.

It may not be the biggest accolade on Jose Mourinho’s CV and Southampton fans may not have imagined they would reach this stage, but for United and Saints fans come Sunday, there will be no doubting of the importance of the EFL Cup.
Manchester United beat Southampton 3–2 at Wembley Stadium to win the 2016–17 EFL Cup.