Liverpool faced Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley with Arne Slot looking for his first trophy as Kop boss and the Toon bidding to end their long, long wait for a major honour
Players of Newcastle United pose for a photo with the Carabao Cup trophy
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Image: 2025 Getty Images)
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In the stands at Wembley, Newcastle United fans, long starved of success, had a banner
It said simply: Write your names in the history books. And my word how they did.
Some 70 years after their last major honour and 56 years after silverware of any sort, Newcastle claimed a 2-1 victory over the Premier League's runaway leaders, Liverpool, to win the Carabao Cup. Goals either side of half-time from 'big' Dan Burn and star striker Alexander Isak did the business, registering Federico Chiesa's injury-time effort a mere footnote on their big day.
For Eddie Howe, it offered vindication of his methods over recent years and made him the first Englishman to win a major domestic trophy in this country since Harry Redknapp won the FA Cup with Portsmouth in 2008.
Sky Sports and ITV forced to apologise just moments into Carabao Cup final
Newcastle star Bruno Guimaraes reduced to tears after ending 70-year trophy drought
For Liverpool and Arne Slot, they'll look back and wonder about what might have been and what they could have done differently after a display where they were some way below their best.
On a remarkable day at Wembley, here's a host of things you may have missed and how the Carabao Cup was won.
Dan Burn of Newcastle United lifts the Carabao Cup Trophy after his team's victory
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Image:
2025 Getty Images)
Pre-Game Choices
Decisions, decisions.
Without Trent Alexander-Arnold, the expectation was Jarrell Quansah would get the nod at right-back. And duly, he did.
More surprising were the other choices made by Slot. Perhaps less so Caiomhin Kelleher coming in in goal for Alisson. He has after all been the Reds cup 'keeper this season.
But Diogo Jota kept his place in attack despite a very disappointing display against PSG in midweek. There had been suggestions Curtis Jones could come into midfield at his expense, with Dominik Szoboszlai moving further forwards, but Slot stuck with his centre-forward.
For Toon boss Howe, there were no such qualms, with the same side selected in Monday's win at West Ham called upon once more.
Liverpool players and boss Arne Slot line up on the pitch ahead of the game
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Image:
2025 Liverpool FC)
Apologies at kickoff
Well, if you're going to stick your TV camera into a pre-match huddle, then they're going to hear things you maybe don't want viewers to hear!
So it was no surprise that both ITV and Sky Sports commentators were promptly apologising to viewers for the language used by Kop captain Virgil van Dijk as he had a few final words with his Liverpool team-mates.
"We worked so hard to be here. Let's f****** do this," was the Dutchman's final battle cry.
Liverpool staged a pre-match huddle that was captured on Sky (
Image:
Gety Images)
First-half and Burn's big moment
Liverpool had most of the possession. Newcastle possessed most of the threat.
"Lethargic" was how Jamie Redknapp summed up the Reds' opening 45 minutes and he wasn't wrong. Slot's side had plenty of the ball, forced a few corners and had Nick Pope rushing from his area to clean up a few long balls over the top, but there wasn't much else from the Premier League's runaway leaders.
They had a penalty shout too, for a possible handball by Kieran Trippier. And while Luis Diaz was convinced it should be given, few others were - most importantly the match officials and VAR.
"We don't want to see penalties for that," said Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher on Sky in his half-time analysis.
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But the first half belonged to the Toon.
Howe doesn't look back on their Carabao Cup Final loss to Manchester United two years ago with any fondness, believing his side were overawed by the occasion and didn't give the account of themselves that they wanted. They weren't letting that happen here.
Led by their talented, physical and dogged midfield trio of Joelinton, Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali, they put Liverpool under pressure in open play and at set pieces. They were sharp in the tackle - Joelinton actually celebrated one of his (more on that later), fast on the break and caused problems.
Shortly before half-time, their efforts were rewarded.
From each corner it seemed like Burn was getting first contact on everything. And when he met Trippier's driven corner in the 45th minute, the giant man with nine fingers towered over the player trying to block his run, Mac Allister, and thundered a terrific header into the bottom corner.
Dan Burn, left, celebrates after scoring the opening goal (
Image:
AP) Don't Miss
Second half, VAR, Joelinton's success and Geordie tears
Remember when Joelinton was a bumbling, mis-firing No.9? It seems a very long time ago now.
The Brazilian powerhouse is a real driving force at the heart of things, and when he made a late challenge in his own penalty area two minutes into the second period, he celebrated it like he'd scored.
A third ferocious tackle, following a lung-busting defensive run to get back, duly followed later on and once more he let out a roar; "there's his hat-trick" declared Gary Neville on commentary.
Joelinton of Newcastle United reacts after another challenge (
Image:
Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
Before he landed his third however, the Toon had bagged their second.
An almighty roar from the North East support had already been suppressed by VAR when Isak had found the net - only for an offside Guimaraes, in the goalkeeper's eye-line - seeing it cancelled out.
Two minutes later, the Swedish hitman wasn't to be denied.
Tino Livramento's lung-bursting run down the left saw the England international hit the final third and toss up a cross to the far post. Jacob Murphy nodded it down, picking out Isak who, having stepped away from his marker, swept unerringly into the back of the net. Cue delirium among the black and white masses.
"This is really special," said Neville. "They [the Newcastle fans] are almost crying, I'm almost crying for them. Alexander Isak, what a finish. What a game!"
Alexander Isak of Newcastle United celebrates scoring to make it 2-0 at Wembley (
Image:
2025 Chris Brunskill/Fantasista)
Joelinton roars as Newcastle celebrate (
Image:
Allstar via Getty Images)
Slot made changes in a bid to get his side back into things and to try and make an impact in attack. Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez, Harvey Elliott, Curtis Jones and even Federico Chiesa were all brought on to try and turn things around. Defensive players were sacrificed.
Kelleher made a stunning sprawling stop to deny Isak from making it 3-0, but while Liverpool huffed and puffed, they never looked like providing what was required to blow the house down.
As eight minutes were shown for injury time, Liverpool fans sang 'You'll Never Walk Alone', but it barely broke through the din being made by the travelling Magpies - those who weren't overcome by tears amid the joy of it all anyway.
But then... Andy Robertson won possession, slipped a pass through and Chiesa coolly finished. Initially disallowed by the linesman's flag, it looked onside to the naked eye and VAR Stuart Attwell, after a two-minute delay, eventually confirmed that the goal was to be given.
When he races through and finishes like that, you wonder why we've not seen more of the Italian this season?
Federico Chiesa of Liverpool scores in injury time ( Image: 2025 Chris Brunskill/Fantasista)
With four minutes in total of added time remaining, would the Toon get nervous? Their response was simple - get the ball away from our goal and down by their corner flag.
Van Dijk was now playing as the focal point of a Liverpool front five but Howe's men dug in and held on.
Bruno's delight, Carragher's assessment and classy Van Dijk
Toon skipper Guimaraes announced when he arrived on Tyneside that he wanted to win a trophy for the fans. Here, he delivered.
Through tears, he said: "When I first came here I said I wanted to put my name in history. We can now say we are the champions again. This is one of the best days of my life.
"I don't have any words. It's the best day of my life. For them [the fans] it's like the World Cup. People have grown up and not seen us as champions. My first year as captain of this club and it's one of the best days. This is unbelievable.
"This is my second home. We are making history. Some day when I leave this club I want the fans to sing my name the way they do to Shearer. He text me before the game. I'm so emotional today."
Bruno Guimaraes of Newcastle United celebrates after winning the Carabao Cup Final (
Image:
2025 Allstar)
Kop legend Carragher acknowledged: "Newcastle didn't just win, they battered Liverpool. It should've been three or four nil.
"Liverpool got a consolation goal. I find it difficult to be too critical, considering what it looked like they were going to achieve this season but not many expected them to.
"Liverpool were poor vs PSG and Newcastle are a good Premier League team but they have wiped the floor with them. Liverpool's legs have run out of steam but luckily for them they have a big enough lead in the league."
A disappointed Virgil van Dijk (
Image:
2025 AMA Sports Photo Agency)
Joelinton of Newcastle United celebrates with the Trophy (
Image:
Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
It wasn't Liverpool's day, but Van Dijk showed his respect to each of the Newcastle players, shaking hands of every player and sharing an embrace with Burn as they waited on the pitch before being allowed to descend the stairs to collect the trophy.
He knew what had happened and as the old adage goes, 'Game recognise Game'.
As Magpies players celebrated on the field with the trophy and the fans partied in the stands - those that weren't in tears anyway - their long drought was little more than a distant memory.
Write your names in the history books. Didn't they just.
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