Newcastle United 2-1 Liverpool: Dan Burn & Alexander Isak end 70-year trophy drought in Carabao Cup
Sunday, March 16, 2025 - the day Newcastle United made history.
70 years of domestic trophy hurt down the drain in the best way possible. Trophy drought, failure, no longer words to be associated with Newcastle United as they beat Liverpool 2-1 to win the Carabao Cup.
Dan Burn’s bullet header on the stroke of half-time from Kieran Trippier’s corner gave The Magpies the advantage at the halfway stage at Wembley Stadium. Alexander Isak doubled the lead shortly after the break with his 23rd goal of the season.
It wasn’t in the script and the game for the most part was plain sailing for Newcastle until substitute Federico Chiesa found the net in stoppage time to set up a nervous end for Newcastle. But The Magpies held their nerve to complete a historic victory.
Here’s how it unfolded...
Eddie Howe named an unchanged starting line-up and bench from the 1-0 win at West Ham United last time out in the Premier League. But Newcastle’s side had a distinctly different look from the side beaten by Manchester United in the 2023 Carabao Cup final.
Nick Pope missed the last final due to suspension but was named in between the sticks at Wembley this time out as one of six changes to the side from two years ago. Tino Livramento, Sandro Tonali and Harvey Barnes have all joined the club since the last trip to Wembley while Alexander Isak and Jacob Murphy were in from the start after coming on as substitutes against Manchester United.
Barnes had Newcastle’s first chance of the game as he stretched to try and meet a Murphy cross but his volleyed effort sailed harmlessly wide of the Liverpool goal. It was Newcastle who started the game on the front foot, buoyed by the 32,000 Geordies in fine voice in the black and white half of Wembley Stadium.
Sandro Tonali curled a low effort wide of the right post from the edge of the box and Newcastle’s first shot on target came after 35 minutes when Burn’s header was flicked goalwards by captain Bruno Guimaraes but it was comfortably gathered by Caoimhin Kelleher in the Liverpool goal.
Newcastle eventually found the breakthrough their first half performance deserved on the stroke of half-time. Fresh from his first England call-up Burn made history for Newcastle by becoming the club’s first cup final scorer in 49 years with his header finding the bottom left corner.
1-0 Newcastle. Belief and something to hang on to heading into the second half.
Newcastle thought they’d doubled their lead just minutes after the restart as Alexander Isak turned the ball in from close range only to be denied by the offside flag. It was a let off for Liverpool though they should know not to give the Swede a second opportunity as he made it 2-0 just moments later with a fine finish from Jacob Murphy’s knock-down.
Newcastle had chances to make it 3-0 through Barnes and Isak to put the game to bed but weren’t able to capitalise.
VAR handed Liverpool a lifeline in stoppage time as substitute Federico Chiesa rolled the ball in to make it 2-1. The flag initially went up for offside but VAR overturned the decision to make it a nervous end for The Magpies.
But a well-managed final five minutes from Eddie Howe’s side saw them over the line.
And Newcastle United has now changed forever as a result.