Manchester United and Newcastle United face off in the final of the Carabao Cup on Sunday at Wembley stadium each seeking to end a trophy drought.
Newcastle who are motivated by the financial muscle of their Saudi owners will be aiming to get their first major domestic trophy since 1955. The Magpies lifted the FA Cup that year, but despite being the ninth most successive club in England, success has since eluded them.
The closest they came to lifting a trophy was the 1998/99 FA cup which they lost to their Sunday opponents; that final ending 2-0.
After spending relentlessly, Newcastle enjoyed a strong first round of the season that saw them climb as far as the third position in the Premier League table standings, but their recent dip in form has resulted in them dropping out of the top four with their most recent game ending 2-0 in favour of Liverpool.
As they head into this season’s defining game, the Magpies’ long wait for silverware has been headlined by the fact that their first choice and second choice goalkeepers Nick Pope and Karl Darlow are unavailable.
Pope is suspended due to the red card he received in Newcastle’s defeat to Jurgen Klopp’s men while Darlow is out on loan to Hull city and their third choice goalkeeper Martin Dubravka on loan from Man United is cup tied having played for the Red Devils earlier in the competition.
This leaves Eddie Howie with one option- Loris Karius. The former Liverpool custodian has not played a competitive game since 2021. Added to that fact, Newcastle faithful will be skeptical of the German who infamously cost Liverpool the Champions League in 2018 following a series of monumental errors against Real Madrid in the final.
While the fans may have less hope in Karius, they will bank on the form of influential attacker Miguel Almiron who has been outstanding this campaign. The Paraguayan has scored 10 goals in the league. Callum Wilson who’s netted 7 goals thus far will be the other man Newcastle will hope comes with his scoring boots.
Manchester United go into this final booming with confidence. Erik Ten Hag’s charges are fresh from ejecting Spanish giants Barcelona 4-3 on aggregate in the Europa League play-off. They are in Red hot form which form has elevated them to the third position in the league, only eight points behind leaders Arsenal.
The Old Trafford outfit last won this trophy in 2017, the same year they lifted the Europa League which still counts as their last trophy. Then under Jose Mourinho, United beat Southampton 3-2 to lift the trophy .They will be gunning for glory on Sunday.
Man United remain the only English team still on course to win four trophies this term, Ten Hag insists his team isn’t carried away by the quadruple talk! He insists on handling and focusing on one game at a time, but victory, he knows would mean a lot as it will be his first silverware as a Manchester United manager.
Speaking to BT sport, the former Ajax manager said; “It’s a great opportunity to get the silverware. The fans are really waiting for it and so we do everything we can to give them their honour.”
On his opponents, Ten Hag termed them as ‘annoying’.
“They are an annoying team. They try to annoy you. They are quite successful with it . We have to get speed into our game. We have to focus on playing football and be fully concentrated on that and don’t get distracted by what could be.”
Manchester United head into this game with high-flying Marcus Rashford a doubt. If Rashford sits this one out, it would be a huge blow to Man United as he’s been exceptional.
The 25-year- old boasts of 24 goals this season, and it is thanks to his five goals in this competition that Man United made the final. United have been firing in all cylinders, but his absence will be greatly felt.
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Manchester United will be without longterm absentees Antony Martial, Christian Eriksen, and Donny Van de Beek while like mentioned above, Rashford is a doubt.
Newcastle are without suspended Pope and cup-tied Dubravka
