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As we gear up for the respective 2020 and 2021 Papa John's Trophy Finals, here are some great stats to prepare you for kick-off!

2020 Papa John's Trophy Final
Portsmouth v Salford City 
13 March 2021

• Portsmouth are looking to become the first team ever to retain the Trophy, having won the last edition in 2018/19 against Sunderland.
• Salford City are the 45^th different team to play in the Final – this is the ninth consecutive final to see at least one team feature in the Final for the first time.
  
  
• This is the first-ever meeting between Portsmouth and Salford City in any competition.
  
  
• Portsmouth have lost their last three matches, all in League One – Pompey haven’t lost four in a row in all competitions since November 2017.
  
  
• Salford City’s only previous appearance at Wembley was in the 2018/19 National League Play-Off Final, winning 3-0 against AFC Fylde to reach the EFL.
  
  
• This will be Portsmouth’s 10^th appearance at Wembley and their seventh at the new Wembley. With the new Wembley as a neutral venue, only Chelsea (23), Man Utd (19), Man City (17) and Arsenal (15) will have played there more than Pompey (7).
  
  
• Portsmouth manager Kenny Jackett will become the first-ever manager to manage in three different EFL Trophy finals (2006 Swansea, 2019 Portsmouth previously). He is currently one of three managers to win the competition twice, along with Lou Macari and Steve McMahon.
  
  
• Having won their only previous Wembley appearance in 2019 against AFC Fylde, Salford are looking to become the first team since Hull City in 2014 to win their first two matches at the stadium.

2021 Papa John's Trophy Final
Sunderland AFC v Tranmere Rovers
14 March 2021

• Sunderland’s only previous EFL Trophy Final appearance was back in 2019 when, after a 2-2 draw, they were beaten 5-4 on penalties by Portsmouth.
  
  
• This is Tranmere Rovers’ first EFL Trophy final since 1991, when they lost 3-2 to Birmingham City. Their only victory in the competition’s Final came the year prior to that defeat, winning 2-1 against Bristol Rovers in 1990 under John King.
  
  
• Sunderland won both of their League One meetings with Tranmere last season by an aggregate score of 6-0, winning 5-0 at home and 1-0 away. Their last defeat to Rovers was in January 2000 in the FA Cup, a 1-0 away defeat to a Wayne Allison goal.
  
  
• Since beating Leeds in the 1973 FA Cup final, Sunderland are winless in seven matches at Wembley (D2 L5) – their two draws in this run have both ended with penalty defeats: the 1997/98 Play-Off final against Charlton Athletic and the 2018/19 EFL Trophy final against Portsmouth.
  
  
• Tranmere Rovers have won four and lost four of their eight matches at Wembley – they have, however, won their last two games there: the 2017/18 National League Play-Off Final against Boreham Wood and the 2018/19 League Two Play-Off Final against Newport. 
  
  
• Sunderland have scored 22 goals in the Papa John's Trophy this season, just one shy of the record in a season set by Southend United in 1990/91 and Blackpool in 2001/02 (23 goals).
  
  
• Sunderland’s Charlie Wyke is the top-scoring player in the top four English divisions in 2021 in all competitions, netting 16 goals in 19 matches. Wyke is also the joint top-scoring player in this season’s Papa John's Trophy, alongside Fleetwood Town’s Harvey Saunders with five goals.
  
  
• Tranmere Rovers have won 12 matches in 2021 in all competitions – among teams in the top four tiers of English football, only Manchester City have won more games this calendar year (19).