Newcastle United's big Carabao Cup final boost after Nick Pope blow

The mood inside St James’s Park was, for once, downbeat after the final whistle as Eddie Howe and his players lapped the pitch to applaud those still inside the stadium after last night’s 2-0 defeat to Liverpool.

Newcastle’s club-record 17-game Premier League unbeaten run had been brought to an abrupt end by goals from Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo.

And the loss of Nick Pope, sent off after handling the ball outside his area, added insult to injury.

Yet before Nunez’s 10th-minute striker – and after Pope’s 22nd-minute dismissal – Howe’s side had played well.

Tellingly, Alisson was voted as Liverpool’s man of the match, with the goalkeeper having made a series of good saves at St James’s Park, including an early stop which denied Miguel Almiron another goal.

Klopp credit

Allan Saint-Maximin, making a third successive start, attacked well down the left and through the middle, and Jurgen Klopp was quick to “credit” the home team for the way they had played with 10 men.

“Newcastle, all credit to them, they put a proper shift in, they really wanted to go for it,” said Liverpool’s manager. “They fought really hard. It was exciting until the end. We got the three points, and we’re very happy about that.”

Football, of course, is played over 90 minutes, and the first-half lapses cost United.

Howe acknowledged his “disappointment” with how his team dealt with the balls over the top to Nunez and Gakpo.

“I thought we were very good with 10 men,” said Howe. “I thought we were very good with 11 men at the start of the game. We created the first big chance, the crowd were electric, and it seemed set for a really good afternoon.

"The two goals, we’re disappointed with. They came out of nothing, really, no real pressure, just quality moments from them.

"The sending off happens, and you fear the worst, but, if anything, we grew into the game – and created chances all through that period. I felt if we could get the third goal, it would have created a really interesting end to the game, but that goal never came.”

Final concerns

Newcastle’s lack of goals, and mistakes at the back, are a concern ahead of the final. The team hasn’t been at its fluent best this year, and there has been some jadedness in the performances after a tough run of fixtures, but it’s still been fiercely competitive week in, week out.

Some fans, understandably, are wary ahead of the final given these factors – and the loss of Pope, who has been outstanding between the posts.

Yet what happened after the team went down to 10 men should give supporters plenty of encouragement. They team attacked with urgency and defended diligently. They played as well as they have done for some time.

And, of course, there’s another reason to be cheerful ahead of Wembley.

Howe, set to field Loris Karius in goal for the final, has Bruno Guimaraes back from a three-game suspension – and, unquestionably, he’s a player for the big occasion.