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Gary Neville believes Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah will rally the Liverpool dressing room to Carabao Cup success on Sunday.
Newcastle United supporters watched curiously as the Reds crashed out of the Champions League on Tuesday. Paris Saint-Germain were deserved winners over 120 minutes, pushing Liverpool to a penalty shoot-out before stunning the Anfield crowd.
To compound their misery, Trent Alexander-Arnold also limped off and is set to miss the Wembley showdown this weekend. Newcastle claimed a minor win without needing to kick a ball as supporters look for any advantage possible before the huge clash.
Liverpool players were visibly dejected at the full-time whistle - with Salah on the verge of tears. Eddie Howe is aiming to deliver another crushing blow to the runaway Premier League leaders - a side he has never beaten as Newcastle manager.
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However, former Manchester United captain Neville has tipped the setback to fuel Liverpool to victory against Newcastle. He suggested serial winners Van Dijk and Salah would not allow standards to slip.
“I can’t see Virgil Van Dijk and Mo Salah not being winners on Sunday,” Neville told The Overlap. “You look at those two players and think who is going to take that (responsibility) off them?”
Neville’s former teammate, Wayne Rooney, who has no loyalty to Liverpool given his Man United and Everton connections, gave Newcastle comfort. The 39-year-old noted how Liverpool went out of the FA Cup to Man United and Europa League to Atalanta in quick succession last season.
“Last season, they had a week where they went out of the Europa League and the FA Cup. Their season fell apart. Hopefully, that happens again.”
Jamie Carragher previously admitted Newcastle United soft spot
Jamie Carragher, the resident Liverpool fan on The Overlap, was not part of the conversation but he previously admitted to rooting for Newcastle to win the Carabao Cup. That was, however, provided the Magpies were not pitted against Liverpool.
Arne Slot’s side have the Premier League all but wrapped up with 10 games left - nobody could seriously suggest otherwise. But a shock defeat to PSG in midweek means this weekend's final is all Liverpool have to play for.
This adds a dynamic that can work either way for Newcastle, with Arsenal legend Paul Merson claiming Liverpool will be mentally fragile going into the final. Undeniably, given the wait for silverware, the game means more for the Magpies.
Reds legend Carragher was bullish in his answer when asked a hypothetical Tottenham Hotspur vs Newcastle question earlier this season. He said: “I think winning the Carabao Cup would mean more to Newcastle as a club, as fans and the city, than Tottenham.
“Tottenham would almost be delighted, but still think ‘it’s just the Carabao Cup’. I’m not being disrespectful, I won it three times and I love the competition, but I think for Newcastle it would almost be like Liverpool winning the Champions League. It would be that big for the supporters and the memories it would create.”