 View of Wembley Stadium during the final | |||||||
| Event | 2016–17 EFL Trophy | ||||||
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| Date | 2 April 2017 | ||||||
| Venue | Wembley Stadium, London | ||||||
| Man of the Match | George Thomas (Coventry City) | ||||||
| Referee | Chris Sarginson | ||||||
| Attendance | 74,434 | ||||||
| Weather | Sunny | ||||||
The 2017 EFL Trophy final was an association football match that was played on 2 April 2017 at Wembley Stadium, London. It was played between League One teams Coventry City and Oxford United. The match decided the winners of the 2016–17 EFL Trophy, a 64-team knockout tournament comprising clubs from League One and League Two of the English Football League (EFL), as well as 16 Category One academy sides representing Premier League and Championship clubs. It was Coventry's first appearance in the final and the second for Oxford, who were beaten by Barnsley in the previous season's match.
The game was played on a sunny day in front of a crowd of 74,434, the highest attendance for the final since the opening of the new Wembley Stadium. The referee was Chris Sarginson. Oxford dominated possession in the first half, but lacked sufficient potency in attack. It was Coventry who led at half time, scoring through Gaël Bigirimana after 11 minutes with the first meaningful chance of the game. Ten minutes into the second half, George Thomas made it 2–0 to Coventry with a low volley from the edge of the penalty area. Liam Sercombe pulled a goal back for Oxford 15 minutes before the end, but despite a series of shots on goal in a last-minute attack, they were unable to equalise and Coventry won 2–1 to earn their first major trophy since their victory in the 1987 FA Cup final.
The win was a highlight for Coventry's supporters in what was otherwise a disappointing season, as they were relegated to League Two. Oxford were challenging for a play-off place in the league at the time of the final but were unsuccessful, finishing in eighth place. At the end of the season, representatives from League One and League Two clubs voted to continue with the 64-team format for the following two seasons. This decision was supported by Coventry manager Mark Robins but opposed by his opposite number Michael Appleton, who stated a preference for reverting to the format involving just League One and League Two clubs.