When it comes to Newcastle United facing Manchester City on Wednesday night, we all need to take inspiration from Liverpool at the weekend.
An impossible mission you say?
Not quite.
Improbable? Yes.
Impossible? No.
We can all be at Wembley once again (in spirit, if not in the flesh, only so many tickets to go around etc etc) on Sunday 22 March 2026, Newcastle United ‘only’ need everything to fall right against Manchester City. Overcome that 2-0 first leg deficit and a third Carabao Cup final in four years. Easy as that…
Newcastle United of course did lose 4-1 at Anfield on Saturday, I’m not daft. Well, not daft enough to deny reality.
However, what was also part of the reality is that for the opening half of the match, first 40 minutes of it anyway, Newcastle United were by far the better team and the only thing that went wrong was that NUFC failed to take proper advantage.
Anthony Gordon did eventually put Newcastle in the lead on 36 minutes with a great finish to top off an excellent move.
However, reality is that by that point it could and should have been a case of doubling or even trebling the lead.
After those opening 40 minutes we saw Liverpool score a great team goal of their own, though it should have been better defended. Then another three further goals that were absolutely all about individual mistakes, poor defending. Gifting the scousers the win. A crazy final scoreline when you take into account how good Newcastle United had been in the opening 40 minutes.
At the Etihad on Wednesday night we need United to play like they did in those opening 40 minutes at Anfield, BUT this time, see the fine margins and luck go in our favour, as well as more clinical finishing and taking advantage of the great situations and chances Eddie Howe’s team created. Plus, naturally of course, no repeat of that defending at Anfield after 40 minutes.
On Saturday, it could have been a completely different game if Harvey Barnes had seen his brilliant free-kick go in off the post instead of bouncing to safety. Whilst in the opening 27 minutes alone, Newcastle had seven corners (Liverpool none) that they failed to take advantage of, against a Liverpool side who has conceded so many goals from set-pieces this season. If everything had gone our way on Saturday, Newcastle could have been three goals up, then get to half-time against what would have been a demoralised home side without conceding and see the rest of a convincing victory out.
Fantasy football? Of course it is, the reality is that Newcastle ended up 4-1 down because of the basics of football, not taking your opportunities and then not defending well enough at the other end.
Indeed, whilst Newcastle United lost 2-0 to Manchester City in the first leg, that didn’t really tell the full story of that game. United had more clear chances and through a combination of missing chances, great goalkeeping, the woodwork and not carrying the luck and fine margins, it was Pep Guardiola’s team who had one foot in the final.
Wednesday night is improbable but not impossible for Newcastle United to turn it around.
Further inspiration should come from 2014 at the Etihad, fourth round of the League Cup and Alan Pardew sent out a much weakened team to get beat. Newcastle had a midfield and attack comprising Abeid, Ryan Taylor, Colback, Obertan, Aaron and Adam Armstrong.
Instead of defeat, the opening nine minutes transformed the match, Rolando Aarons scored on six minutes and then three minutes later, Man City’s star man David Silva was forced off through injury. Manchester City never seemed to recover from that opening phase and Sissoko came off the bench to make it 2-0 late in the second half.
Moments change matches, especially goals.
Newcastle United score first on Wednesday night and it is game on.