Newcastle did not go down without a fight, playing on the front foot for much of the match. They dominated the early stages, attacking relentlessly down both flanks and keeping United pinned back before conceding to a smartly executed set piece just after the half hour mark, finished cooly by Casemiro. To say that this goal came against the run of play would be a significant understatement, as Newcastle had dominated possession and created chances in the lead up.
The second nail in Newcastle’s coffin came just six minutes later as Wout Weghorst played a sweet slide rule pass into the area for Marcus Rashford. Rashford is on the form of his life in 2023, with 25 goals to his name this season, and blasted the ball past replacement Newcastle keeper Loris Karius to double United’s lead. The shot took a significant deflection, making it hard to pin the blame on Karius, who was forced to stand in for the suspended Nick Pope.
Despite the extraordinary circumstances, Karius pulled out an impressive performance, saving eight shots and providing quick distribution to help bolster the Newcastle attack. Making his first professional start in over two years in a game massive significance, Karius faced unimaginable pressure but delivered a classy performance in spite of the circumstances.
Speaking after the match, Eddie Howe told reporters that “I thought we played well today, there is always fine margins between victory and defeat… We were disappointed with conceding from a set play but I thought we were in it right until the end.”
“As I sit here now I’ve got no regrets,” he continued. “The thoughts are already going to how we can come back here and win a trophy that we deserve.”
Despite the result, Newcastle United gave their fans a performance they could be proud of. As many as 40,000 Newcastle faithful made the trek to Wembley and created an atmosphere for the ages, with a black and white wall of flags spanning half the stadium. The scenes in Trafalgar Square the night before were just as impressive, as tens of thousands of Geordie’s descended on the nation’s capital and made their voices heard, singing late into the night and swimming in fountains.
Newcastle United’s unprecedented transformation from uninspiring relegation fodder to trophy challengers has been, for lack of a better word, unbelievable, and this cup run is nothing if not a sign of things to come. With one of the most ambitious boards in world football, a top-class manager, and an ever-improving squad, Newcastle United will doubtless be sticking around the upper echelons of football for some time.