Alan Shearer was notably absent from the latest episode of The Rest Is Football podcast, and who could blame him? The Newcastle legend, 54, had far more important matters to attend to at Wembley, where he witnessed his cherished Magpies triumph spectacularly.
Newcastle ended a 70-year trophy drought with a thrilling 2-1 win over Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final, with Dan Burn and Alexander Isak delivering goals that sealed a fairytale victory. Federico Chiesa's late strike was little more than a consolation as the Toon army etched their name into the history books after a spellbinding display under the arch. After the final whistle, Shearer was seen wildly celebrating in the stands, and according to Gary Lineker, the revelry continued long into the night. "Alan's had an amazing day at Wembley. Needless to say he isn't going to make the pod as we're recording this on Sunday evening," Lineker quipped.
"I think he's at the party maybe with the players, certainly with a lot of supporters... Fantastic stuff, what a day out Alan's had. I'm so pleased for all the Newcastle fans," Lineker added.
"I know it's a very disappointing day for Liverpool and their supporters, but they've won lots of things over the years and it's been a long while for Newcastle to wait. And boy, they deserved it. I thought they were absolutely superb."
Newcastle were the better side from start to finish on Sunday, despite only possessing 34 per cent of the ball. They had the lion's share of the big chances, and had a goal ruled out for offside.
Fittingly, it was boyhood Newcastle fan Burn who broke the deadlock, sending half of Wembley into raptures by hammering home a header from a corner right before the interval. After the match, Liverpool manager Arne Slot said: "I've never seen in my life a player from that far away heading a ball with so much force into the far corner.
"Ninety-nine out of 100 times that will not lead to a goal. Credit to him, he's one of the few players that can score a goal from that distance with his head."
Seven minutes after the restart, Isak doubled Newcastle's lead by coolly slotting the ball in at close range following a knockdown from Jacob Murphy. At two goals down, Liverpool finally sparked into action, and for most of the last half an hour, Eddie Howe's side were on the defensive, but Chiesa's 94th minute goal was the only time Liverpool breached the Magpies' sturdy defence.
For Newcastle fans, what followed was torturous – eight of the longest minutes they'd have likely ever say through, with every clearance, challenge, and tick of the clock feeling like an eternity. And then, finally, referee John Brooks' whistle sliced through the unbearable tension, unleashing waves of raw relief, jubilation, and unadulterated bliss from the crowd.
The victory not only ended 70 years of hurt - it broke a long-standing jinx, bringing about a first win in a final after five previous attempts. Shearer had experienced the bitterness of defeat twice, losing to Arsenal and Manchester United in back-to-back FA Cup finals in 1998 and 1999.
But on this night, those agonising memories were finally put to bed. Like numerous Geordies, Shearer watched - this time with unrestrained happiness - as his club finally hoisted a trophy. Howay indeed.