Liverpool and Newcastle United meet at Wembley on Sunday in the Carabao Cup final, with both clubs seeking to achieve significant milestones. For Liverpool, it’s a chance to secure their first trophy under new manager Arne Slot. For Newcastle, it’s an opportunity to end a 56-year wait for silverware.
Liverpool, the defending Carabao Cup champions, defeated Chelsea in extra time in last season’s final. This victory marked the final trophy of Jurgen Klopp’s tenure before he stepped down. The Reds have a strong recent pedigree in the competition; this is the first time in ten years a team other than Man City, Man Utd or Liverpool have won it.
Newcastle, under the ownership of a Saudi-led consortium and managed by Eddie Howe, are looking to build on last year’s final loss. Their last major trophy was the 1969 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup (a predecessor to the Europa League), and their last domestic trophy was the 1955 FA Cup.
Slot Aims for Early Silverware, Injury Concerns Remain
Arne Slot, in his first season in English football after leaving Feyenoord, has guided Liverpool to a commanding position in the Premier League. They are currently 15 points clear of second-placed Arsenal with nine games remaining. However, their Champions League campaign ended with a penalty shootout defeat to Paris St-Germain in the last 16.
“You play games like this to win it, and that’s what we’re going to try to do,” said Slot. “And we’re really looking forward to it, to playing a final again, because you cannot take a final for granted, especially not in this country with so many good teams involved in every cup competition.”
Slot faces selection challenges, particularly in defense. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Conor Bradley, and Joe Gomez are all ruled out, meaning Jarell Quansah, recently called up to the England squad, is likely to start at right-back. There is, however, positive news regarding Ibrahima Konate’s fitness. “With Ibou, we expected only it to be that he was tired or he had some cramps [against PSG] so we are hoping and are expecting that he will be ready to play Sunday again,” Slot confirmed.
Newcastle’s Long Wait and Howe’s Ambition
Eddie Howe is aiming to build on last season, losing the final, and playing in the Champions League. “That’s been a big part of what we’ve done since we’ve been here,” he added. “Big-game experience should help us when we need it. We’ve stayed competitive, in the main, in big games. Our style, we have adaptability, but also we have a clear method. A clear representation of us in and out of possession will be really important for us.”
Howe emphasized the significance of the final for Newcastle: “We want to break that wait for a trophy. It’s not a negative. We’re trying to look at it the other way round, it’s the chance to make history and be remembered positively.”
Newcastle will be without defenders Sven Botman and Lewis Hall due to serious injuries, and Anthony Gordon is suspended after his red card against Brighton in the FA Cup. The final presents a significant opportunity for Newcastle to end their long trophy drought and signal their resurgence under new ownership.
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