The Magpies’ journey began with a sneaky 4-3 penalty win at Nottingham Forest back in August. Newcastle then managed to bring it back home to St James’ Park, securing a 1-0 win against AFC Wimbledon in October.
Their hospitality and generosity by donating to help Wimbledon’s stadium recover from severe flooding did not translate onto the pitch, but the League Two team were pleased to have the opportunity to play at St James’ Park, saying they received a ‘warm welcome’ and want to build a ‘special bond’ with the new winners in the future.
Newcastle faced Chelsea at St James’ Park at the end of October, besting them by 2-0, despite being beaten by them away from home just three days prior in the Premier League. A lucky draw for the Magpies allowed for another home game, which they fought hard for a 3-1 victory against Brentford.
A lucky draw for the Magpies allowed for another home game.
The final stretch was the semi finals away and at home against Arsenal, with the magpies securing a crucial away victory 0-2 against the Gunners. This left them in clear sight of Wembley when they beat them with the same scoresheet at St James’ Park, beating Arsenal 4-0 on aggregate and headed to Wembley.
After beating three of the top four teams in the Premier League to get to the final, Newcastle needed to put up a strong fight to destroy the leaders.
Tonali opened up Liverpool’s eyes with a strong shot just off target. Isak and Trippier had a swift double attempt, with Trippier attacking with Isak’s rebound, leading to a corner for Newcastle. Dan Burn received this corner well, unfortunately heading the ball into the hands of Kelleher.
Despite a handball call against Trippier, VAR allowed a continued play which led to the next Newcastle corner – the most crucial of the game. 6’7” Dan Burn remained marked by 5’9” Mac Allister, despite the prior scare, which allowed for Burn to power the ball straight into the back of the net in the 45th minute.
Which allowed for Burn to power the ball straight into the back of the net in the 45th minute.
After the opening of the second half, Liverpool decided to up their game with an attempt by Jota and Salah, but could not seem to find the back of the net. The Magpies brought the game back under control with Isak’s ball slipping past Keheller, but was ruled offside by VAR.
Despite the setback, Isak managed to blast another ball between the posts, refusing the need for VAR to check for an offside and securing the Magpies’ second goal. After an unbelievable save from Nick Pope, Liverpool managed to slip the ball past him after a loss of possession by Bruno Guimares.
Despite this devastating blow to the Magpies’ clean sheet, the final whistle was blown and Newcastle United lifted the Carabao Cup amongst the thirty-two thousand Geordies that were cheering them on inside the stadium. What a nail-biting but excellent end to the Carabao Cup – HWTL!