After more than half a century of waiting, Newcastle United returned to the podium, winning their first major trophy since 1969 by defeating Liverpool, last season's champion and record-holder with 10 League Cup titles, 2-1 on Sunday at Wembley Stadium.
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Newcastle United ended 70 years without a major domestic trophy by beating Liverpool 2-1 to claim the English Football League Cup, with goals from Dan Burn and Alexander Isak, one in each half. The victory sparked celebrations among the team's fans at Wembley.
Burn gave Newcastle a deserved lead in the 45th minute, heading a powerful ball into the net from a corner taken by Kieran Trippier. With strong support from their fans, Newcastle dominated the match after just seven minutes into the second half when Swedish striker Isak fired a powerful shot past Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher.
Liverpool, leading the Premier League, responded when Italian Federico Chiesa pulled one back in injury time, but the defeat had already been sealed, and the win went to Eddie Howe's team, marking Newcastle's first domestic trophy since 1955.
Following this significant achievement, Newcastle is also aiming for a return to the UEFA Champions League, currently sitting in 6th place in the league, just two points away from the fourth spot that qualifies for the Champions League. With a postponed match to play, their League Cup win guarantees them a spot in the Conference League qualifiers.
Two years ago, Newcastle lost to Manchester United in the League Cup final, but from the start of this match, they appeared determined to make their mark in the city's history, drawing energy from their passionate fans.
On the other hand, Liverpool seemed sluggish, still suffering from their elimination from the Champions League at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain via a penalty shootout last Tuesday.
After a cautious start, Newcastle looked the more dangerous side, even though they didn’t create much, apart from a shot by Sandro Tonali that went wide. Liverpool seemed content with a draw in the first half, but that changed when Burn, who was named to the England squad for the first time this week, ignited the Newcastle crowd in the 45th minute.
The tall center-back, who returned to his hometown club in 2022, found himself marked by the shorter Alexis Mac Allister and met a cross from Trippier with a powerful header past the far post into Kelleher's goal. This was Burn's first goal of the season and Newcastle's first at Wembley in 25 years, since Rob Lee's goal in a loss to Chelsea in the FA Cup semifinals.
The team didn't have to wait long for their second goal, which came from a much more likely source. Just seven minutes into the second half, after a disallowed goal for Isak due to offside, Jacob Murphy headed the ball to Isak, who fired a powerful shot from close range that beat Kelleher.
Liverpool's first shot on target came from substitute Curtis Jones, who forced Nick Pope into a save, but things nearly got worse for the stunned Liverpool team, as Kelleher saved a close-range shot from Isak.
After a long wait, the match didn't lack excitement for Newcastle fans. Chiesa scored a goal with a low ground shot, although the referee initially ruled it offside, and the remaining minutes saw more tension as Newcastle ended decades of frustration. (Agencies)
