Carabao Cup: Newcastle beat Liverpool to win first trophy in 70 years

Newcastle won their first major trophy in 70 years by beating holders Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.

Newcastle won the 1955 FA Cup final, but their next five final appearances (three FA Cup, two League Cup) had each ended in defeat – the last of which came in 2023, when they lost 2-0 to Manchester United in the fixture.

A towering header from boyhood Newcastle fan Dan Burn just before the break and a sublime finish from talisman Alexander Isak just after the restart put Newcastle on course for a victory generations had longed for.

Though Federico Chiesa’s 96th-minute goal – confirmed after a lengthy VAR review – set up a tense finale, it was not enough to help Liverpool find the equaliser that would have sent the game to extra-time.

Newcastle had endured five relegations to the second tier since their last trophy, with club legends like Alan Shearer, Paul Gascoigne, and Malcolm MacDonald failing to win silverware in their time on Tyneside.

Aside from a brief period when Kevin Keegan’s self-styled “entertainers” challenged for the title in the 1990s, Newcastle have endured decades of underachievement and self-inflicted wounds that rendered them a laughing stock for long periods.

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All that changed in 2021 when a Saudi-backed consortium completed a takeover from unpopular owner Mike Ashley and quickly hired Howe as their manager.

Thanks to Howe’s astute leadership and the Saudi financial backing, Newcastle have been transformed from relegation candidates to silverware winners.

The defeat was another painful blow for Liverpool just days after their Champions League last 16 exit on penalties against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).

But despite failing to win their first trophy under boss Arne Slot, Liverpool still sit 12 points clear at the top of the Premier League, within touching distance of a record-equalling 20th English title.

Liverpool are 23 points ahead of sixth-placed Newcastle in the league and hadn’t lost to them for 17 games dating back to 2015.

But Howe’s men were in no mood to be cowed by past failures.

The Star