Newcastle United will be very interested in what Liverpool defender Andy Robertson has said ahead of the Carabao Cup final.
The two sides meet at Wembley on Sunday, as Eddie Howe aims to end Newcastle’s trophy drought.
The Magpies have not lifted silverware since 1969, as this current Newcastle United team prepare for a chance to become immortal.
For Liverpool, it is Arne Slot’s first chance to win a trophy with the Reds. It has been an incredible first season for the Dutchman, and it could end with him winning the double in his first season at Anfield.
However, it will not be a treble, as Liverpool were dumped out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain on penalties on Tuesday night. To make matters worse for Liverpool, Trent Alexander-Arnold suffered an injury and is a doubt for the Carabao Cup final.
Photo by MB Media/Getty Images
Photo by MB Media/Getty Images
Andy Robertson admits Liverpool tiredness ahead of playing Newcastle United
It was a tough night for Liverpool, who also had to endure extra-time before exiting the Champions League.
After playing 120 minutes with nothing to show for it, Andy Robertson has told Liverpool’s official website that a lot of his teammates are very ‘tired’ ahead of Sunday’s game against Newcastle United.
“We always bounce back,” he said.
“There’s a lot of tired legs in there and we need to recover properly, we need to get ready to go – but we will be.
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“Cup finals, we enjoy them and they’re the biggest games.
“Once we get that one out of the way then we’ve had a real intense period of time, we get a little bit of a break [with] the internationals and then we go full throttle for the Premier League.”
Tired Liverpool have more cup final experience than Newcastle
Eight words from Robertson stand out: “There’s a lot of tired legs in there.”
Liverpool have been involved in a lot of high intensity games as of late, and they then had to play an extra 30 minutes on Tuesday night.
Robertson says Liverpool are feeling the effects of that, which could offer Newcastle United encouragement. The Magpies will have an extra 24 hours to recover from their last game, while Liverpool played longer and have the emotional toll of seeing their Champions League hopes disappear.
But Liverpool are also very experienced. While this is Slot’s first season at Anfield, the majority of his players have been in situations like this on multiple occasions under Jurgen Klopp.
As Robertson says, they will be ready on Sunday.
Newcastle must ensure they are ready too, as they aim to approach this final differently to 2023. They have hopefully learned from the disappointment of two years ago, after the occasion appeared to get to Newcastle.