Newcastle United's Dan Burn lifts the cup after the Carabao Cup Final between Liverpool and Newcastle United
(Image: CameraSport via Getty Images)
Newcastle United have 10 Premier League matches left to cap what has been the most remarkable season in 56 years.
By hoisting the Carabao Cup at Wembley and beating a strong Liverpool outfit, the current crop of stars have written themselves into black and white folklore. The key now for Eddie Howe's team is to ensure they end the campaign in the same manner they took on the Reds at Wembley.
The season restarts for Howe's side on April 2 against Brentford at St James' Park with the race for a Champions League place well and truly on as Newcastle sit in sixth place in the top-flight just behind Man City on goal difference.
Last season it was Tottenham Hotspur who finished in fifth spot - a place which is now a Champions League slot - and they bagged 66 points. As Newcastle sit on 47 points with 30 to play for they may need five or six more wins to be sure of dining at Europe's top table next term.
Whether the pressure has been lifted by the fact Newcastle have won the Carabao Cup and at least European qualification to the UEFA Conference League is secured eases tensions remains to be seen. For now the players are delighted with where they stand after becoming legends at Wembley.
Tino Livarmento said: "It is amazing. When I joined I knew where the club was at. I knew the project that they were on, they'd reached the final in 2023 and didn't get the result they wanted and the result the fans wanted. Joining them, I wanted to help make that next step. And now we have made that next step."
For fit-again Callum Wilson the last 10 matches offers him the chance to brush up on his goal tally for the season. But he knows the enormity of the Carabao Cup lift.
Wilson said: "Ultimately, the fans deserve this. It was 70 years in the making, and thankfully, we’ve got the club over the line. Hopefully, this is the first of many. We want to keep building on this. This feeling, what we have now, we want to create it time and time again. Two years ago we failed - we were successful this time and hopefully there’s many more times to come."