League Cup final: Newcastle end 70-year wait for trophy after win over Liverpool

Eddie Howe’s team complete 2-1 victory at Wembley for first major domestic prize since 1955 FA Cup

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  Soccer Football - Carabao Cup - Final - Liverpool v Newcastle United - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - March 16, 2025 Newcastle United's Bruno Guimaraes and Kieran Trippier lift the the trophy after winning the Carabao Cup Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO USE WITH UNAUTHORIZED AUDIO, VIDEO, DATA, FIXTURE LISTS, CLUB/LEAGUE LOGOS OR 'LIVE' SERVICES. ONLINE IN-MATCH USE LIMITED TO 120 IMAGES, NO VIDEO EMULATION. NO USE IN BETTING, GAMES OR SINGLE CLUB/LEAGUE/PLAYER PUBLICATIONS. PLEASE CONTACT YOUR ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVE FOR FURTHER DETAILS. .

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  Newcastle's Alexander Isak celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the League Cup final against Liverpool at the Wembley Stadium in London on Sunday, March 16, 2025. AP

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  Liverpool's Jarell Quansah and Curtis Jones after losing the League Cup final on Sunday. AP

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  Alexander Isak celebrates scoring his team's second goal as Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool looks dejected. Getty Images

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  Newcastle United's Dan Burn celebrates with teammates after scoring the opening goal of the League Cup final. AFP

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  Caoimhin Kelleher of Liverpool fails to make a save as Dan Burn scores the first goal at the Wembley Stadium. Getty Images

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  Liverpool's manager Arne Slot at the Wembley Stadium. AFP

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  Mohamed Salah of Liverpool during the League Cup final. EPA

Newcastle United ended their decades-long trophy drought after defeating Liverpool 2-1 in the League Cup final at Wembley on Sunday.

Dan Burn headed the Magpies ahead just before half-time. Then, roared on by a sea of fans clad in black and white, Eddie Howe's Newcastle took complete control of the match seven minutes after the break as Alexander Isak doubled the lead with a crisp.

Federico Chiesa scored a late consolation goal for the Premier League leaders but Newcastle managed to hold on to a famous win that gave their first major trophy for 56 years.

It was their first major silverware since the 1969 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and their first major domestic prize dating in 70 years after the 1955 FA Cup triumph.

Newcastle were the better side at Wembley on an afternoon when 10-times winners Liverpool looked weary after the physical and emotional impact of their midweek Champions League exit at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain.

Howe's team took full advantage in front of a crowd of 88,513 as he became the first English manager to win a domestic trophy since Harry Redknapp in 2008.

Sandro Tonali curled a right-foot shot just wide of Caoimhin Kelleher's left post after Harvey Barnes, in for the suspended Anthony Gordon, and Isak had combined to set him up.

Kelleher smothered Bruno Guimaraes' effort from close range after Burn had headed down the resulting corner and Konate made a vital interception to deny Isak a clear run at goal.

Nick Pope had to race from his line to prevent Luis Diaz getting to Mohamed Salah's 37th-minute ball over the top but the opening goal finally arrived at the other end as the first half ticked into stoppage time when the unmarked Burn met Trippier's corner with a powerful header.

Diogo Jota stabbed wide from Diaz's knockdown as the whistle approached, but it was Newcastle who went in at the break with the advantage.

It took a fine covering tackle from Joelinton to prevent Diaz running on to Jota's cutback, after Virgil van Dijk had surged upfield and played him through.

Isak had the ball in the net with 51 minutes gone, although from an offside position after Liverpool had once again failed to deal adequately with a Trippier corner. However, he repeated the feat legally seconds later when Murphy turned Tino Livramento's cross back across goal, beating Kelleher.

Arne Slot replaced Konate and Jota with Curtis Jones and Darwin Nunez and Jones might have dragged his side back into it within two minutes of his arrival but for a stunning reaction save from Pope.

Kelleher had to be equally resilient to repel Isak's close-range effort from Barnes' volleyed cross in an increasingly open affair and although Chiesa pulled one back in stoppage time, the Magpies held on to beat the Reds for the first time in 18 attempts.

Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimaraes said it was the best day of his life.

"It's all for these fans. They deserve everything. When I first came here I said I wanted to put my name in history," Brazil midfielder Guimaraes said.

"We can now say we are the champions again...

"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."