The 2010–11 Football League Cup, known as the Carling Cup due to the competition's sponsorship by lager brand Carling, was the 51st season of the Football League Cup, a knock-out competition for England's top 92 football clubs. Each season, the League Cup winners – like the winners of the FA Cup – are granted a place in the UEFA Europa League for the following season. However, in cases where a team has already gained a place in European competition via their league position or progress in other cup competitions, their place in the Europa League is deferred to the next-placed league side.