Suspension has dominated the build-up for Newcastle United vs Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final.
The Magpies are going to be without one of their best players, with Anthony Gordon suspended for the final.
The 24-year-old will not play at Wembley after his red card against Brighton in the FA Cup. It is a massive blow for Newcastle United, as Eddie Howe decides who will replace Gordon.
Ahead of the final, Howe has praised Gordon for his work in training despite the suspension. It is great to hear that the winger is conducting himself well behind the scenes, but it remains a huge shame that he will not be involved at Wembley.
Playing against Liverpool is hard enough as it is. Now it will be even harder without Gordon.
Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images
Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images
Darwin Nunez avoids Carabao Cup final suspension
While Newcastle limp towards the Carabao Cup final, Liverpool are flying. They beat PSG in the Champions League last week, while they have now extended their lead at the top of the Premier League table.
Arne Slot’s side beat Southampton on Saturday, with goals from Darwin Nunez and Mo Salah ensuring the Reds came from behind to win 3-1.
However, they very nearly went down to 10-men in the first half. Darwin Nunez was booked for a wild swipe on Southampton defender Kyle Walker-Peters, but the incident could easily have resulted in a red card.
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In the eyes of Match Of The Day pundit Joe Hart, Nunez was lucky he did not make proper contact with Walker-Peters.
“We see on the replay, he’s missed the ball,” he said.
“Luckily, he’s missed the player, because that could have been a terrible, terrible incident at the end of the first-half – 1-0 down and losing a player.”
Mike Dean’s verdict on Darwin Nunez incident
Following the incident, there were plenty of Newcastle United fans bemoaning their luck that Nunez had not been sent off.
However, former Premier League referee Mike Dean told Sky Sports that the correct decision was made.
“I think the right decision is yellow,” he said.
“It looks really bad. When you see it from another angle, it’s knee on knee. From the angle for the normal tv camera, it looks like he’s absolutely launched him. But he hasn’t.”
Darwin Nunez’s record against Newcastle United
Had Nunez been given a red card, he would have been suspended for the Carabao Cup final.
Alas, he will be available for Liverpool at Wembley.
Whether or not he starts remains to be seen, as the Reds also have Diogo Jota in attack. There is Cody Gakpo too, although it is unclear if he will be fit for Sunday’s final.
Regardless, Nunez is a player who Newcastle United should be wary of. While the striker has often struggled since his £64million move to Anfield, he has done well against the Magpies.
He has scored three goals and provided one assist across his five games against Newcastle, including a heart-breaking brace at St James’ Park in August 2023.