Newcastle United beats Liverpool in Carabao Cup final, wins first domestic trophy in 70 years

Newcastle United beats Liverpool in Carabao Cup final, wins first domestic trophy in 70 years

Newcastle United ended a 70-year domestic trophy drought as it beat holder Liverpool 2-1 to win the League Cup (also known as Carabao Cup) with goals in each half by Dan Burn and Alexander Isak sparking a Geordie party at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.

Fittingly, it was local hero Burn who sent his side on the way to a memorable victory as he thumped home a header in the 45th minute to reward Newcastle’s dominant first-half display.

Roared on by a sea of fans clad in black and white, Newcastle took control of the showpiece final seven minutes after the break when Swedish forward Isak swept a shot past Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher.

Runaway Premier League leader Liverpool halved the deficit in stoppage time with substitute Federico Chiesa slotting in but the damage was done and the day belonged to Eddie Howe’s Newcastle, which won the club’s first domestic trophy since 1955.

Newcastle suffered heartbreak two years ago in the League Cup final against Manchester United, their ninth straight loss at Wembley, but they were determined to write their names into folklore as they tapped into the energy from their supporters.

“It’s all for these fans,” Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes, who arrived at the club after the 2021 Saudi Arabia-backed takeover, said before raising the trophy aloft.

“It’s all for these fans. They deserve everything. When I first came here I said I wanted to put my name in history. We can now say we are the champions again.”

Liverpool, on the other hand, looked flat and appeared to be suffering a Champions League hangover after being knocked out of Europe by Paris Saint-Germain on penalties on Tuesday.

One statistic summed up the Reds’ day — talisman Mohamed Salah, for the first time in his Liverpool career, had neither a shot nor created a chance in a match in which he played 90 minutes.

Barring a collapse, Liverpool will surely win the Premier League but manager Arne Slot’s first Wembley final will not be one the Dutchman remembers fondly.

“A disappointing result and disappointing performance,” he said. “The game went exactly how (Newcastle) wanted it to go. They deserved to win.”

Newcastle looked the greater threat in a cagey opening half and Sandro Tonali flashed a shot past the post.

Liverpool seemed intent on reaching half-time all square and looked like achieving that modest ambition until Burn, given a first England call-up this week, sent Newcastle’s fans wild.

The towering centre-back, who returned to the club of his youth in 2022, was marked by the diminutive Alexis Mac Allister for Kieran Trippier’s corner and it was a no-contest as he planted an unstoppable header beyond the diving Kelleher.

It was Burn’s first goal of the season and Newcastle’s first at Wembley for 25 years since Rob Lee scored in a losing FA Cup semifinal against Chelsea.

It did not have to wait long for its next goal, and this time, it came from a more likely source.

Seven minutes after the break, Jacob Murphy headed a cross into the path of Isak, who, quick as a flash, swept a shot past Kelleher in front of the massed ranks of black and white.

Isak has now scored 23 goals this season and is the new cult hero in a city that has adored its centre-forwards over the years from Jackie Milburn to Shearer.

Liverpool finally roused itself when substitute Curtis Jones forced Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope to beat away his fierce drive but it almost got worse for Slot’s stunned side with Isak denied from close range by Kelleher.

After such a long wait, it was never going to be drama-free for Newcastle’s fans, the vast majority of whom were not even born when it beat Manchester City in the 1955 FA Cup final.

Chiesa’s neat goal, allowed by VAR after initially being ruled offside, ensured a few thousand fingernails were chewed through stoppage time but the final whistle ended decades of despair and triggered Geordie celebrations in the capital.

Published on Mar 17, 2025