Newcastle United wins League Cup final over Liverpool to end trophy drought

LONDON – Newcastle United ended a 70-year wait for a domestic trophy when goals in either half by Dan Burn and Alexander Isak earned them a 2-1 victory over holders Liverpool in the League Cup at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.

Fittingly it was local hero Burn who gave his side a home to a memorable win, crushing home a header in the 45th minute to reward Newcastle’s dominant first-half showing.

Roared on by a sea of black and white-clad fans, Newcastle seized control of the showpiece final seven minutes after the interval when Swedish forward Isak swept a shot past Liverpool keeper Caoimhin Kelleher.

Runaway Premier League leaders Liverpool reduced the deficit to half in stoppage time as substitute Federico Chiesa slotted in but the damage was done and the day belonged to Eddie Howe’s Newcastle who lifted the club’s first domestic trophy since 1955.

There was bitter heartbreak for Newcastle two years ago when they faced Manchester United in the League Cup final, when they lost for the ninth time here in Wembley but they were determined to write their names into folklore as they harnessed the energy from their fans.

“It’s all for these fans,” said Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes, who joined the club after the 2021 Saudi Arabia-backed takeover, before lifting the trophy above his head.

“It’s all for these fans. They deserve everything. I remember saying when I first came here I wanted to put my name in history. Now you can say we’re the champions again.”

Liverpool on the other hand, looked jaded and appeared to be suffering a Champions League hangover after being eliminated from Europe on Tuesday by a Paris St Germain penalty shoot-out.

One statistic encapsulated the Reds’ afternoon — talisman Mohamed Salah, for the first time in his Liverpool career, not having a shot nor creating a chance when he played 90 minutes.

Liverpool will far from throw away the Premier League, where one hand can already be seen on the title, but this will not be one final Arne Slot remembers fondly.

“A disappointing result and disappointing performance,” he said. “The game played out exactly as (Newcastle) wanted it to play out. They deserved to win.”

Greater threat

Newcastle appeared the more dangerous in a tense first half, sending a shot from Sandro Tonali whizzing past the post.

Liverpool wanted to get to the break without conceding and were on their way to realizing that modest ambition until the first of the week’s England call-ups, Burn, sent Newcastle’s fans into raptures.

It was a no-contest when the towering centre back climbed over the diminutive Alexis Mac Allister at the back post to meet Kieran Trippier’s corner and head an unstoppable effort beyond the diving Kelleher, Marc Stein

It was Burn’s first goal of the season and Newcastle’s first at Wembley in 25 years since Rob Lee netted in an FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea that ultimately ended in defeat.

They did not have to wait long for their next goal, and this time from a more likely source.

Seven minutes after the break Murphy nodded a cross into the Swede’s path and in a flash he had swept a shot past Kelleher in front of the massed ranks of black and white.

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

Liverpool eventually awoke and after substitute Curtis Jones had Newcastle keeper Nick Pope beat away his fierce drive it nearly got even better for Slot’s shocked side, with Isak denied from close range by Kelleher.

It was never going to be drama-free for Newcastle’s fans after such a long wait, the vast majority of whom were not even born when they defeated Manchester City in the 1955 F.A. Cup final.

Chiesa’s smart strike — other on-field incidents of note were a foul play warning against Dejan Kulusevski, followed by on-field VAR for an offside check — sent the remaining few thousand fingernails chewed through stoppage time but the final whistle brought to an end decades worth of misery and Geordie celebrations spilled throughout the capital.