Both Bradford City and Swansea City went into this afternoon's League Cup final looking to win the competition for the first time in their history.
As it was, Swansea's Premier League quality shone through from the first whistle and they eventually ran out 5-0 winners.
Nathan Dyer and Jonathan de Guzman both notched braces, while Michu also got his name among the goalscorers.
League Two Bradford ended the match with ten men following the dismissal of goalkeeper Matt Duke.
You can find out how the match unfolded with our minute-by-minute commentary below.
3.02pmAfternoon all. Well, after what has probably seemed like a lot of waiting, the big day for supporters of both Bradford City and Swansea City has arrived. One of those sides will lift the League Cup for the first time later on today.
3.05pmThere are few finals that have a more remarkable story than this one. Bradford after all are a League Two club who has seen off numerous Premier League sides to reach this stage. No team from their division has ever gone on to win this competition. If they do win through today, it surely has to be one of the best cup stories in English football history.
3.08pmSwansea cannot be forgotten in all of this though. After all, they've not always been a Premier League club. Back in 2007 they actually faced Bradford in a League One encounter that ended in a 2-2 draw at Valley Parade. A few years earlier they even almost went out of the Football League and business altogether. How times have changed for the Welsh outfit.
3.11pmAnyway, that's enough pre-match chat for now. There will be plenty more time for that later because the team news from Wembley is just beginning to filter through...
3.12pmSWANSEA X1: Tremmel; Rangel, Ki, Williams, Davies; Britton, De Guzman, Routledge, Dyer, Hernandez; Michu
3.15pmWell, there is a bit of surprise in that Swansea lineup. To my knowledge, Ki Sung-Yueng has not played centre-back for the Jacks this season and yet that is where he finds himself today! Chico Flores is out injured and Garry Monk has been dropped by Michael Laudrup. It's a big call from the Danish boss.
3.18pmBRADFORD X1: Duke; Darby, McArdle, McHugh, Good, Thompson, Doyle, Jones, Atkinson; Hanson, Wells
3.22pmSo then, Phil Parkinson has not sprung any real surprises with that Bradford side. 'Big Jim' Hanson will start up front, while Curtis Good continues in a full-back role. I wonder how those Bradford players are feeling at the moment. There's bound to be some nerves floating around.
3.25pmHaving looked at both of those lineups, one area that Bradford will no doubt look to exploit is the Swansea centre-backs. While Ashley Williams is having a fine season, Ki has not played in that position at all. Bradford are strong at set-pieces and you feel that the best chance of scoring will come from those situations.
3.28pmWith just over 30 minutes to go until we are off and running, let's have a look at what both managers have been saying during the week leading up to today - starting with Laudrup...
3.29pm"It will be my biggest achievement as a manager because it will be a small club winning a trophy, because of what it means to the club and to the city it will be huge," he told reporters.
"It puts some pressure on us and we have to accept that we are favourites for the simple reason that we are a Premier League side.
"We have to play a League Two side and that makes this an extraordinary final. In 10 years' time people will still remember the year that Swansea played Bradford.
"We can win this game and they will still be remembered, that's the deal."
3.31pmAnd here is a snippet from Parkinson, who has been quoted saying this in The Independent:
"All along the league has been our priority. I cannot hide away from that," he said. "But we are in the final at Wembley and have a chance of getting into Europe.
"So I can honestly say now, if we had the choice of two things, it would have to be winning the cup.
"We are a League Two team. We have created history by getting this far. It would be truly amazing if we could pull it off."
3.35pmBy the way, how mad is it to think that Bradford could be in Europe next season. How amusing would it be to see some of the continent's biggest clubs heading to Valley Parade for a match?! Well, that's what will happen if they win today. A slot in the Europa League awaits the victor.
3.39pmJust looking at Bradford's run to today's final - boy, it was tough! Notts County, Watford, Burton, Wigan, Arsenal and Aston Villa were all beaten in a sequence of fixtures that goes all the way back to August.
3.42pmOne major difference that Bradford will find today though to those matches is the size of the pitch. Previously in the competition they've played at grounds like Valley Parade and Villa Park, where the stadiums are tight and compact. This time around they are playing at Wembley on a wide surface which should suit Swansea's playing style.
3.45pmOn such a big pitch, players are bound to get tired. That means that a substitute could come off the bench and be a hero for their respective side. With that in mind, we'd better let you know who has made the benches:
BRADFORD: McLaughlan, Ravenhill, Davies, Reid, Connell, Hines, Turgott
SWANSEA: Vorm, Monk, Tiendalli, Shechter, Agustien, Lamah, Moore
3.49pmWe heard from him earlier, but here is a bit more from Laudrup, including why he has gone for Ki at centre-back and not Monk or Kyle Bartley:
"It would be a huge thing to win, it is very difficult to describe. It is an historic final for a lot of reasons for both teams so I am looking forward to it," he told Sky Sports News.
"The thinking is that we will have a lot of possession so I have opted for Ki at the back. In the FA Cup game against Crawley Ki played there and did very well, so I am confident of the same today."
3.54pmRight then, the players are in the tunnel. Have to say that Bradford boss Phil Parkinson is looking awfully relaxed. Let's hope for his sake that his players feel the same way. There's a massive roar from the crowd as the two teams walk out - good to see such a great atmosphere.
3.56pmGood to see Fabrice Muamba out there meeting both sets of players during the handshakes. He will be handing the trophy to the winners later as well. Not long now until we are off and running.
1 minThere's a fantastic noise inside the ground as Swansea, kicking from right to left, get this season's League Cup final started. Game on...
3 minIt's a really positive start from the Swans. Nathan Dyer in particular is looking lively and has just seen a dangerous cross hacked clear. It's a storm that the Bradford rearguard need to weather. Conceding an early goal would be disastrous.
5 minFair play to Bradford, they've now settled down and are beginning to use the ball well. At the same time, they need to be careful not to commit too many players forward. It's been a good start from both sides.
9 minIt's now Swansea who are in control. You get the feeling that it will be the main theme of the match. To be fair to Bradford though they haven't allowed their opponents to get a shot away at Matt Duke yet. Patience is the name of the game as far as Swansea are concerned.
12 minWe've seen very little of Swansea's leading goalscorer Michu so far. While the Premier League side have been neat and tidy, they've struggled to get the ball up to the Spaniard, who is cutting an isolated figure at the moment. Still, he's shown numerous times this season that he can spring into life at the drop of a hat.
14 minCHANCE! Almost a dream moment for young Swansea defender Ben Davies. The full-back got above his marker to meet Nathan Dyer's deep cross at the back post, but his contact wasn't the cleanest and the ball skids just wide of the target. Bradford keeper Duke looked to have got his angles covered there.
15 minGOAL! Bradford 0-1 Swansea (Dyer)
17 minI said moments ago that Bradford need to be careful not to commit too many players forward when they attack. Well, they've done just that. A quick break from the Swans sees Michu send in a low shot which Duke manages to tip away. He can't get enough on the ball to clear the danger though and Dyer was on hand to turn the rebound in from close range. It's going to be a big test for Bradford now.
21 minHaving gone in front, Swansea now seem to be going for the jugular. There is a real slickness about their play and every time they get the ball they are looking to make the most of the wide playing surface. Bradford need to hang on in there and hope that their chance comes.
23 minSome bookmakers are now offering odds that Bradford win this match of 22/1, while Swansea are best priced at 1/10. It shows the enormity of the task ahead of the Bantams now that they have fallen a goal behind.
27 minNo disrespect to Bradford, but this is beginning to resemble a training match. Swansea are playing keep ball and making the League Two outfit work ever so hard to stick with them. At this rate, there will be more goals after the break for the Swans when Bradford start to tire.
29 minFormer Wales international John Hartson seems to agree with the previous statement. Here is what he has just tweeted:
"Great start for the swans,, theire keeping the ball for fun Bradford can't get near them.. It's like a training session for Swansea here."
31 minHaving said that, it's not like Swansea are peppering the Bradford goal with shots. The goal aside, Bradford have actually defended pretty well and have kept Swansea in front of them.
35 minWhat Bradford need is something like a corner or even a free kick in advanced position. Anything really to get their supporters going again like they were at the start of the match. Swansea keeper Gerhard Tremmel has barely touched the ball so far - we've barely seen him!
37 minHere are some thoughts on the match so far from Reading striker Jason Roberts, who is working for BBC Sport:
"This is stirring memories of little bits and bobs of when I played in the League Cup final for Wigan against Manchester United. I have tried to forget it, by now we were 2-0 down so it is something I have not committed to memory. Our disappointment then was that we did not play the best we could and that is the situation with Bradford at the moment."
39 minBOOKING! A sign that Ki is not the most comfortable of defenders perhaps? For no reason whatsoever, the South Korean has just ploughed straight through the back of Bradford striker Nahki Wells on the right touchline. He is deservedly cautioned and will now have to be careful for the remainder of match.
40 minGOAL! Bradford 0-2 Swansea (Michu)
42 minMichu cost Swansea £2m in the summer - just £2m! Pound for pound, has there been a better signing made this season? I don't think so. The Spaniard is given far too much space inside the Bradford area and once he curls the ball goalwards, there was only ever going to be one outcome. It's a great finish - his 19th of the campaign. There's only 42 minutes gone, but this match looks to be over.
45 minThere will be one minute of stoppage time at the end of the first half...
45+1 minHALF-TIME: Bradford 0-2 Swansea
4.50pmWell that can't have been much fun for the Bradford players, who quite frankly look shattered as they trudge off the pitch at the break. It's a long, long way back for them now. Without going too gung-ho, they need to get some help up to Hanson and Wells. The pair of them have barely had a kick. Having said that, you fear that Swansea's lead could well be an unassailable one.
4.53pmFrom Swansea's point of view, they are getting the job done. They were the big favourites heading into this final and have not let the pressure get to them. More of the same is bound to be the message from Laudrup during this 15-minute break.
4.56pmA quick look at the statistics show just how dominating Swansea have been. They have had 74% of the possession and seven shots, five of which have been on target. Meanwhile, Bradford have not had a single effort on or off target. Their only mark on the stats is an offside.
4.58pmHere is what former Bradford manager Paul Jewell had to say about that half over on BBC Sport:
"The Wembley pitch is a big old pitch and the Swansea formation does really pull you apart. Swansea have pressed Bradford and made Bradford hurry. Bradford are sitting deep and they have not been able to deal with Swansea's movement because when the wide players go short, the full backs bomb on and I feel so sorry for Bradford because they are a playing a team who are a class apart from them."
45 minAs Bradford get the second half started, they have a new player on the pitch. Full-back Curtis Good has been taken off and on in his place is Andrew Davies. Big 45 minutes ahead.
47 minGOAL! Bradford 0-3 Swansea (Dyer)
49 minThe last thing Parkinson probably said to his Bradford players before they returned for the second half was 'don't concede early.' Well, that is exactly what they have done. To be fair to Swansea, it's a really good goal as Michu and Dyer link for the latter to curl left-footed into the net from 10 yards out. If it wasn't already, this match is now over.
52 minMore from Hartson on Twitter:
"5,6, or 7? Ill go 6! Not sure if there has ever been such a one sided final.Total mismatch..Tremmal swans keeper has touched the ball twice."
I'm going for 5!
55 minPENALTY TO SWANSEA!
56 minRED CARD! Duke, Bradford
58 minDrama here as Bradford keeper Matt Duke sees red for tripping up Jonathan de Guzman, who was about to roll the ball into an empty net. By the letter of the law the Bradford keeper has to go, but you cannot help but feel sorry for him. Jon McLaughlan is the back up keeper and has replaced Wells. De Guzman will take the kick...
59 minGOAL! Bradford 0-4 Swansea (De Guzman)
60 minStrange scenes before the penalty is taken. Dyer wanted to have it, with the hat-trick being in his grasp. De Guzman was adamant though and the pair argued for a minute or so before the Dutch international calmly converted from 12 yards. They appear to have made up during the celebration.
62 minCHANCE! Michu goes close to getting his second and Swansea's fifth as he curls the ball an inch wide of the target from the edge of the area. It's going to be a long 30 minutes or so for Bradford now. They were getting the run around with 11 men and now they only have 10!
63 minSUBSTITUTION: A nice touch from Laudrup as he allows Swansea hero Garry Monk the chance to get involved. The veteran defender will have been disappointed not to have started in Flores's absence, but he has his chance now. Ki is the player to depart.
67 minIt's all about damage limitation for Bradford now because this could become a rout - if it isn't already. Every time Swansea sweep forward they look like they are going to score. Got to admit, it would be nice to see Bradford find the net somehow - they deserve it purely for the run that they've had in the competition.
70 minSAVE! McLaughlan makes his first stop since coming on, although in truth, he shouldn't have been given the opportunity. Williams met a deep corner with a volley, but he seemed to be surprised that the ball had reached him and it trickled towards the Bradford keeper.
74 minSUBSTITUTION: A second switch for Bradford sees former West Ham United winger Zavon Hines come on in place of Thompson. He will give the Bantams some pace down the flanks.
76 minBradford's supporters are really doing their club proud at the moment. They've seen their side be battered by Swansea from the very first whistle but the majority are on their feet and continue to sing their hearts out. Great to see.
79 minSUBSTITUTION: You can imagine that Dyer is not the happiest man on a personal level right now. Having been denied a hat-trick by De Guzman's wish to take the penalty, he has now been substituted by his manager. Had he scored again, he would have been the first player to score a hat-trick in a League Cup final. On in his place is Roland Lamah.
80 minDietmar Hamann on Twitter: "Seeing the gap between the two teams makes me appreciate even more how well Bradford did to get to Wembley,beating 3 PL teams and Watford."
84 minSUBSTITUTION: Final switch for Swansea as young full-back Davies is given a bit of a breather, meaning that Dwight Tiendalli will get a run out for the final few minutes.
85 minBradford have their first corner of the match...
87 min...But Jones's teasing cross his headed clear by Ashley Williams as Davies looked to score. The supporters celebrated that corner as if they had scored a goal! A shot from Jones is then easily held by Tremmel, which brings even louder cheers from the Bradford faithful.
90 minThere will be a minimum of three minutes of stoppage time...
90+1 minGOAL! Bradford 0-5 Swansea (De Guzman)
90+2 minAfter Lamah strikes both the bar and post, Swansea do get their fifth as De Guzman converts a low cross from Pablo Hernandez. This is now the biggest winning margin in League Cup final history. It's cruel on Bradford but the Swans have been fantastic today.
90+3 minFULL TIME: Bradford 0-5 Swansea
5.53pmIt was never in any real doubt as soon as Dyer put them in front early on, but Swansea City are the 2013 League Cup winners. They were clear favourites and didn't let that pressure get to them. It was a fantastic performance from the first whistle.
5.54pmBig credit to Bradford though because they didn't stop battling, even though the match was put beyond them by half-time. They've had a great run in the competition and that shouldn't be forgotten. Phil Parkinson can be proud of his players.
5.55pmThat is all we have time for from Wembley Stadium. Thanks for joining us this afternoon and be sure to stick around on Sports Mole for reaction and analysis of this encounter.
