Manchester United and Manchester City are favourites to meet at Wembley in a derby Capital One Cup final, but should they be running scared of lifting the cup?
With both David Moyes and Manuel Pellegrini in charge of their first campaigns in Manchester, the prospect of winning silverware is touted as a way to kickstart more success further down the line.
Indeed, Chelsea's surprise exit in the quarter-finals as Jose Mourinho's second spell in charge stutters along has been contrasted with his 2005 League Cup win, which is widely reported as providing the impetus to land a first Premier League title soon after.
Yet while the League Cup would allow Moyes and Pellegrini to ensure they add a trophy to their CV, in recent years winning the Football League's flagship knockout tournament has been something of a mixed blessing.
Take a look at how the winners have fared in the immediate aftermath, since Chelsea's 2005 triumph under Mourinho…
2006
Winners: Manchester United
What happened next: United finished the season strongly in the league, but still finished eight points adrift of title winners Chelsea, who won the title with a 3-0 drubbing of the Red Devils.
2007
Winners: Chelsea
What happened next: The Blues were chasing an unprecedented quadruple, but having won the league in 2005 and 2006, they lost the title to Man United and lost again to Liverpool in the Champions League last four, before claiming the FA Cup. For most clubs a cup double would be an incredible season, but for the Blues in 2007 it was a consolation prize.
2008
Winners: Tottenham Hotspur
What happened next: League Cup success was supposed to boost manager Juande Ramos, but Spurs won just three of their remaining 12 Premier League games and exited the UEFA Cup at the last 16 stage. After losing six and drawing two of their first eight games the following season, Ramos was sacked with Tottenham bottom of the league.
2009
Winners: Manchester United
What happened next: Incredibly, United were chasing a quintuple of trophies in 2009, having bagged the Club World Cup and League Cup. They duly added the Premier League title, but lost the FA Cup semi to Everton and were taken to school by Barcelona in the Champions League. Like Chelsea in 2007, a campaign that yielded silverware somehow felt like an opportunity missed.
2010
Winners: Manchester United
What happened next: Chelsea pipped United to the league title and Bayern knocked them out of the Champions League at the last eight stage, in agonising fashion.
2011
Winners: Birmingham City
What happened next: They were relegated from the Premier League.
2012
Winners: Liverpool
What happened next: The Reds won four of their final 13 league games to limp home in eighth place, while also losing the FA Cup final. Kenny Dalglish was duly sacked.
2013
Winners: Swansea City
What happened next: The Swans won just two of their final 11 league games.
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