Newcastle was clinical, absolutely clinical as they won their first major trophy in 70 years. They didn’t just overpower Liverpool to win, Liverpool were cup holders 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 of Newcastle fans 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.