Newcastle Stun Liverpool In League Cup Final To End 56-Year Trophy Drought

With a 2-1 win over Liverpool in the League Cup final on Sunday, Dan Burn and Alexander Isak shook off a 56-year trophy drought in stunning fashion.

The runaway Premier League leaders were shocked when Eddie Howe’s side’s outstanding performance made history at Wembley.

After the break, Isak’s 27th goal, his 27th goal in all competitions, doubled Newcastle’s lead.

In the final seconds, Federico Chiesa restored a lead, but Newcastle still managed to win their first major silverware since the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1969.

The Europa League’s success is a remnant of a bygone era, but Newcastle fans’ memories of this long-awaited triumph will be forever preserved. They turned one half of Wembley into a sea of black and white with their exuberant celebrations.

It was Newcastle’s first significant domestic prize since the 1955 FA Cup.

30 different English teams have won silverware since the Magpies lifted the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, and Liverpool has since won 38 major prizes.

However, Howe’s team returned to Wembley and finally set the record straight after losing to Manchester United in the 2023 League Cup final.

Since their last trophy, Newcastle had endured five relegations to the second tier, with club legends like Alan Shearer, Paul Gascoigne, and Malcolm MacDonald not taking home any silverware during that time.

Newcastle have endured decades of underachievement and self-inflicted wounds that have rendered them a laughing stock for a long period of time despite a brief period when Kevin Keegan’s self-styled “entertainers” challenged for the title in the 1990s.

When a Saudi-backed consortium acquired unpopular owner Mike Ashley and quickly appointed Howe as their manager in 2021, all of that changed.

Newcastle have now become silverware winners as a result of Howe’s astute leadership and the Saudi financial backing.

Just days after their Champions League penalty shootout defeat against Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool suffered yet another agonizing defeat.

However, despite failing to win their first trophy under manager Arne Slot, Liverpool are only 12 points clear of the top of the Premier League, just one point away from a record-equal 20th English title.

 History for Newcastle

Liverpool has won their 17 games thus far in 2015, 23 points clear of sixth-placed Newcastle in the league.

However, Howe’s men were not interested in being coerced into failings in the past.

Before kick-off, Newcastle supporters displayed a banner urging their team to “write your name in the history books.”

While Liverpool were sluggish and sloppy in possession, they rose to the challenge in spectacular fashion, snapping into tackles and counterattacking with purpose.

When Burn headed in the direction of the Brazil midfielder in a brilliant opportunity, Bruno Guimaraes nodded at Caoimhin Kelleher from close range to applaud Newcastle’s innovative start.

When Joelinton returned from midfield to stop Jarell Quansah in his tracks and celebrated with a fist-pumpping roar, Newcastle’s desire and drive were immediately apparent.

Liverpool failed to take the warning as the towering centre-back gave Newcastle the lead in the 45th minute despite nearly being outgunned by Burn’s aerial prowess once more.

With only the diminutive Alex Mac Allister nearby and he was largely unmarked, Burn was allowed to rise unchallenged and hit a powerful header into the far corner from 12 yards.

The journeyman centre-back, who received his first England call-up on Friday, had a fantastic week, with Burn’s goal, Newcastle’s first in a cup final since 1976.

The lethargic Reds couldn’t help but be alarmed when Isak put Newcastle into dreamland after 52 minutes, with Mohamed Salah completely anonymous as Liverpool talisman.

Isak drilled a superb first-time finish past Kelleher from 10 yards after Jacob Murphy met Tino Livramento’s cross with a header that found him.

Chiesa’s stoppage-time strike caused a frightful conclusion, but good things do happen when you wait.

And as a party that has been running for more than 50 years began to take shape all over Wembley, Newcastle fans and players celebrated ferociously.

Source: Channels TV