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Detailing the key matchups as Newcastle United prepare to stun Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final.
This is it. The big one. Newcastle United are just hours away from potentially ending 70 years of domestic pain.
It is Newcastle vs Liverpool, Tyneside vs Merseyside, Geordie vs Scouse. Two distinct regions go head-to-head at the home of English football in a winner-takes-all showdown.
How are the nerves, Toon fans? Most of the city has likely been up all night like kids on Christmas Eve as excitement and nerves take over.
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For those in the capital, a hangover might be at the forefront of your minds given the scenes in Covent Garden last night. All Eddie Howe and his Newcastle team will be thinking about is how to thwart Arne Slot and Co this afternoon.
They are underdogs - there is no question about that - but the Magpies must believe they have a path to victory. NewcastleWorld has profiled the five areas where the Carabao Cup final could be won and lost.
Harvey Barnes vs Jarell Quansah
A battle that was never anticipated a fortnight ago but is now arguably the most important. Anthony Gordon vs Trent Alexander-Arnold was the original PPV attraction but both players are out.
Toon fans do not need reminding but a petulant red card against Brighton ended Gordon’s hopes, while Alexander-Arnold suffered an ankle injury against Paris Saint-Germain in midweek. With Conor Bradley also sidelined, Arne Slot has little choice but to field Jarrel Quansah - a natural centre-back - at right-back.
Howe must decide whether to unleash Barnes on the left flank or go with Joelinton, the safety-first option. Newcastle should be targeting Quansah as a potential weak link and losing Alexander-Arnold strips Liverpool of a potent attacking asset.
Tino Livramento vs Mohamed Salah
Another key tussle as Salah was supposed to be Lewis Hall’s task. The Egyptian has been the best Premier League player by a country mile this season but looked lacklustre against PSG.
Hall cruelly suffered a season-ending injury at Anfield last month which crushed his Wembley dream. That has cemented Livramento’s position on Howe’s team sheet, albeit at left-back.
Some in Newcastle quarters question whether the 22-year-old’s best performances have come from the opposite side. That theory is set to be put to the test in severe fashion when Salah strolls into town on Sunday.
Alexander Isak vs Virgil van Dijk
Wow, what a matchup. Arguably the best striker and centre-back in world football, with Wembley Stadium the venue. These scenarios are usually reserved for video games but fans far and wide will be tuned in to watch two Premier League titans go to war.
Isak has enjoyed life against Liverpool since becoming Newcastle’s club-record signing in August 2022. Three goals and an assist from five games is a solid return - but Toon fans will argue he should have one more following the Anfield controversy two-and-a-half years ago.
He was denied a debut brace by a cat’s whisker but has gone from strength to strength ever since. As for Van Dijk, if he has a stellar game, it will be hard for the Magpies to knock the Liverpool wall down.
Alexis Mac Allister vs Bruno Guimaraes
Argentina vs Brazil is never a bad side story, with no love lost between Mac Allister and Guimaraes on the international stage. That rivalry will be embodied in Merseyside and Tyneside this weekend as there is a midfield battle to be won.
On paper, both engine rooms are evenly matched. Mac Allister is supported by Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai while Guimaraes, the Newcastle captain, has Joelinton and Sandro Tonali to call upon.
It sounds cliched but the midfield story will be key to how this game plays out. Last month, the Magpies surrendered the initiative but, with Joelinton back, a new governor could be in town.
Diogo Jota vs Dan Burn
To be fair, Jota could have been pitted against either of Newcastle’s two centre-backs in this list. He is likely to start over Darwin Nunez and Howe’s men will need to be careful for his movement.
Jota’s role - akin to Roberto Firmino’s in a bygone era - creates added space for Salah on the right. A technically gifted player, Newcastle will have him on their radar as one to watch.
If Slot subs Nunez on for Jota, it will also force the Magpies to adjust to a contrasting style. This dumbfounded Newcastle 18 months ago when the erratic Uruguayan struck twice late on to sink hearts around St James' Park.
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