Last night, Manchester United beat Nottingham Forest 2-0 in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final thanks to second-half goals from back-from-injury Anthony Martial and Fred. Having beaten Nottingham 3-0 in the first leg of this fixture last week, Erik Ten Hag’s side matched into the final with a comfortable 5-0 win on aggregate.
In the final, the Red Devils will play glory-hunting Newcastle United, who eliminated Southampton a night before with a 2-1 win (3-1 on aggregate) thanks to a quick brace from local boy Sean Longstaff. Newcastle will be playing their first domestic trophy final in 24 years, having last played at Wembley against Manchester United in the FA Cup final. They lost as Man United collected a treble.
However, this will be the first League Cup final for Newcastle since 1976. Eddie Howe’s men have been relentless in their pursuit of silverware this season. They are currently sitting third on the Premier League table, level on points with their fellow Carabao Cup finalist but with a stronger goal difference.
Man United on the other side will be playing in the first final since 2018, and the first League Cup final since 2017. The club started the Premier League woefully but have settled in well, and are currently the only club still in contention to win the quadruple (Premier League, Europa League, FA Cup, and League Cup). Whether they go on to win it all is a different story altogether.
With both clubs having a good run of form, the Carabao Cup final which will be played on February 26, 2022, at Wembley Stadium promises to be a thrilling encounter. In the past, big clubs have used the Carabao Cup as a stepping stone for their youngsters and second 11, but this has changed and they are now taking the trophy seriously, fielding their best 11.
Will Manchester United win it for the 6th time or will Newcastle win their first trophy in 68 years, which will also act as a return on investment for their Saudi owners.
