2004 Football League Cup final

As a Premier League team, Bolton began in the second round, hosting Walsall of the First Division at the Reebok Stadium. They won 3–1 with two goals – one a penalty kick – by Brazilian debutant Mário Jardel.[6] In the next round on 28 October, they again hosted a second-tier team, this time Gillingham, and won 2–0 with goals by Stelios Giannakopoulos and Henrik Pedersen, in front of a notably low crowd of 5,258.[7]

In the fourth round, Bolton had their first trip, and their first game against top-flight opposition, facing Liverpool at Anfield on 3 December. Jardel scored the first goal within five minutes, with Danny Murphy equalising with 20 minutes remaining. Youri Djorkaeff would have put Bolton back into the lead, but referee Mike Riley disallowed it for an earlier handball; they scored minutes later from Jay-Jay Okocha's free kick. Liverpool got a second equaliser from a 25-yard Vladimír Šmicer strike, but with a minute remaining Salif Diao fouled Kevin Davies in the penalty area and Djorkaeff sent the resulting spot-kick past Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek to win the game.[8] Thirteen days later, in extra time at home to the Premier League's Southampton, Pedersen volleyed the only goal with five minutes remaining.[9]

On 21 January 2004, Bolton hosted Aston Villa in the first leg of an all-Premier League semi-final. Okocha gave them the lead with a second-minute free kick, and further strikes from Kevin Nolan and Stelios gave them a 3–0 lead after 17 minutes, with Juan Pablo Ángel getting one back for the visitors soon after. Ángel got another goal in the second half, before Ngotty's header and a second Okocha free kick gave Bolton a 5–2 victory.[10] Six days later in the second leg at Villa Park, Bolton lost 2–0 to a Villa team who had Gavin McCann sent off in the first half, but advanced to the final 5–4 on aggregate.[11]

Middlesbrough, also of the Premier League, began the competition in the second round by hosting Brighton Hove Albion at the Riverside Stadium, and defeated the Second Division team 1–0 with a goal from Malcolm Christie at the start of extra time.[12] In the next round, they travelled to Wigan Athletic of the First Division and won 2–1 with Massimo Maccarone and Gaizka Mendieta's first goals of the season, despite the hosts at the JJB Stadium scoring a late free kick through Jimmy Bullard.[13]

They met their first top-flight opposition in the fourth round, hosting Everton. After 120 goalless minutes, the match went to a penalty shoot-out in which Mendieta scored the winner after Middlesbrough goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer saved from Leon Osman.[14] The quarter-final at another Premier League team, Tottenham Hotspur, also went to a shoot-out. Darren Anderton scored for the hosts within 63 seconds, the first goal Boro conceded for over 11 hours. With four minutes to play, Middlesbrough striker Michael Ricketts equalised after a cross from George Boateng. The shoot-out, in which Schwarzer denied Mauricio Taricco and Kasey Keller blocked from Mendieta, went to sudden death, in which Middlesbrough's goalkeeper saved from Gus Poyet and Franck Queudrue scored Boro's winner.[15]

In the semi-finals, Boro faced Arsenal, the leaders and eventual unbeaten champions of the Premier League season. In the first leg at Highbury on 20 January 2004, Queudrue exploited a mistake by Arsenal defender Martin Keown and passed to Mendieta, who then assisted Juninho for the only goal of the game.[16] On 3 February, Boro hosted Arsenal in the second leg; Keown was sent off at the end of the first half for a professional foul on Maccarone. In the second half, Boudewijn Zenden put Middlesbrough ahead and Edu equalised. With five minutes remaining, Arsenal's José Antonio Reyes scored an own goal by deflecting Stuart Parnaby's shot, making Middlesbrough advance to the final 3–1 on aggregate.[17]

Pre-game ceremony prior to the starting whistle

Bolton manager Sam Allardyce, who was building a reputation for signing unwanted foreign veterans such as Ngotty, Djorkaeff and Iván Campo, predicted that a win would help him sign more players in the summer. However, he thought that success would also lead his 13 players who would be out of contract, to demand more money for a renewal.[18]

On-loan Middlesbrough right-back Danny Mills, a self-acknowledged "hate figure" from opposition fans due to his physical style of play, declared that he would ignore any abuse from Bolton fans.[19]

Boudewijn Zenden (pictured playing for Liverpool in 2005) assisted Middlesbrough's first goal and scored their second. He received the Alan Hardaker Trophy for the final's man of the match.

Middlesbrough manager Steve McClaren had not even sat down when his team took the lead.[20] Mendieta's pass let Zenden run down the left wing and cross for striker Joseph-Désiré Job to put Middlesbrough ahead in the second minute.[20] It was the fastest goal scored in a final, a record broken the following year by Liverpool's John Arne Riise.[21]

After Job's early goal, Bolton went on the attack, with Djorkaeff forcing Schwarzer to make a near-post save.[20] In the seventh minute however, Middlesbrough won a penalty when Job was tripped in the Bolton box by Emerson Thome.[20] Zenden stepped up to take the spot kick and beat Bolton goalkeeper Jussi Jääskeläinen, despite slipping and the goalkeeper's foot touching the ball.[20] Replays showed that as Zenden kicked the ball twice as he slipped. Later, Thome nearly scored an own goal from Juninho's cross.[20]

Davies scored for Bolton on 21 minutes when an error by Middlesbrough goalkeeper Schwarzer allowed his shot to go inside his near post. Bolton continued to attack, and Schwarzer made a double save from winger Per Frandsen and Djorkaeff. The latter had two more chances soon after, missing the target with the first. Boro pleaded for a second penalty when Nicky Hunt pulled Job, but referee Riley did not give it.[20]

The second half had fewer incidents.[20] Schwarzer saved a header from Nolan, while Juninho had two opportunities for Middlesbrough.[20] In the final few minutes, Thome made a crucial block against Mendieta, and at the other side of the pitch Ugo Ehiogu did the same to thwart Stelios.[20]