Newcastle’s 56-Year Trophy Wait on the Line in League Cup Final
News Desk
Islamabad: Liverpool has the opportunity to secure the first trophy of the Arne Slot era in Sunday’s League Cup final against a Newcastle side eager to end a 56-year wait for major silverware.
As the first final of the English domestic season approaches, Liverpool, currently runaway leaders of the Premier League, will head to Wembley looking to recover from the disappointment of their Champions League exit against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday. The Reds were defeated 4-1 on penalties by PSG in the last 16 second leg at Anfield.
That defeat was a rare setback in what has otherwise been a successful first season under Slot, who joined from Feyenoord to succeed Jurgen Klopp last year. Liverpool sits 15 points clear at the top of the Premier League and is closing in on a record-tying 20th English title, their first since 2020.
Before that, however, the Dutch manager is focused on adding another League Cup to Liverpool’s collection. Having won the League Cup a record 10 times, the Reds are aiming to lift it for the third time in four years, after defeating Chelsea in last season’s final.
“You play games like this to win them, and that’s exactly what we aim to do,” said Slot, who will be without injured right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold. “We’re really looking forward to it, because in this country with so many strong teams, you cannot take a final for granted.”
This will be Slot’s first visit to Wembley, and he hopes the team can bounce back from their recent disappointment. “It’s a great occasion, especially after losing to Paris Saint-Germain. It could be the perfect game for us,” he added.
A Chance to Make History
Newcastle’s recent history has been marked by decades of underachievement, with their last major trophy coming in 1969 when they won the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, the predecessor to the Europa League.
Since then, they have never won the League Cup, most recently losing to Manchester United in the 2023 final. Their last significant domestic trophy was the 1955 FA Cup, and they’ve lost five finals in both the FA Cup and League Cup since then.
However, the club has undergone a major transformation since a Saudi-backed consortium took over in 2021, buying the club from controversial owner Mike Ashley. The decision to hire Eddie Howe as manager has turned Newcastle from relegation candidates to serious contenders for silverware, with a Champions League appearance in 2023-24 signaling their revival.
Despite their underdog status, Howe has urged his players to seize the opportunity to create history by ending the club’s long trophy drought. “We want to break that wait for a trophy,” he said. “We’re not seeing it as a negative; it’s an opportunity to make history and be remembered positively.”
Liverpool comfortably won 2-0 in their most recent Premier League encounter with Newcastle in February, and the Magpies face an even tougher task in the final, with key players such as Anthony Gordon, Lewis Hall, Sven Botman, and Jamaal Lascelles unavailable due to suspension and injury.
However, Howe remains confident that his team will not be intimidated by the occasion. “We’ve stayed competitive in big games, for the most part,” he said. “We have adaptability in our style, and we also have a clear approach to the game.”
