Carabao Cup final: Eddie Howe & Newcastle team will be legends after win

At Wembley Stadium, Newcastle United finally dispelled the 56-year shadow of failure that had haunted them, their joy uncontainable. Since winning the FA Cup in 1955, they had suffered nine consecutive defeats at Wembley, and this victory finally ended the long wait.

When referee John Brooks blew the final whistle, confirming their 2-1 victory over Liverpool to win the League Cup, a massive wave of black and white celebration swept through the stadium. It had been 56 years since Tyneside last lifted a major trophy – the now-defunct Inter-Cities Fairs Cup – during which time the club had been the butt of jokes for other fans.

Now, under the leadership of head coach Eddie Howe, Newcastle United has finally broken the curse with a well-deserved victory. Coach Howe has completely transformed this team with the financial backing of the Saudi Arabian owners. Wembley Stadium could barely contain the roar and excitement generated by this brilliant performance, with some fans even shedding tears before the end of the game, many covering their eyes, afraid to watch the game clock tick towards 100 minutes, ultimately welcoming the joy of victory.

Dan Burn and Alexander Isak scored in the first and second halves, respectively, helping Newcastle United take a well-deserved lead. However, when Federico Chiesa pulled one back for Liverpool in the fourth minute of injury time, giving Liverpool unlikely and undeserved hope, painful memories of the past few years resurfaced in an instant. The emotions of Newcastle fans became unbearable, but Howe's team controlled the final seconds as skillfully as they had handled everything else, and Liverpool failed to respond.

Howe and his players have cemented their place in Tyneside history. The League Cup may not be high on the list of trophy priorities elsewhere, but for this giant club and its fan base, it is a momentous victory. Coach Howe may well have a statue erected near St. James' Park, alongside those of Sir Bobby Robson and Alan Shearer, who also experienced every thrilling moment at Wembley along with the rest of the "Magpies" army.

Burn completed the most glorious moment of his career in a matter of days, earning his first call-up to the England national team at the age of 32, before breaking the deadlock in first-half stoppage time with a thunderous header from Kieran Trippier's corner. He exploited Liverpool's puzzling tactic of using Alexis Mac Allister, who is nearly a foot shorter than him, to defend him – a situation that persisted into the second half.

Isak was considered Newcastle United's potential match-winner before the game. He proved to be quick and deadly, quickly sweeping in Jacob Murphy's header to send the ball into the net. There was also Joelinton. The Brazilian was the best player on the pitch, running powerfully and actively fighting for the ball throughout the game, often waving his fist at the Newcastle fans. However, Coach Howe must take most of the credit for another excellent management and strategic decision.

Howe took over from Steve Bruce in November 2021, when Newcastle United were 19th in the Premier League, five points from safety after 11 games. Last season, Howe led Newcastle United to the Champions League, but this victory is the real pinnacle. Since they last won a trophy, Newcastle United have had 31 managers who have coached at least one game. The 47-year-old coach has overcome many obstacles that others could not.

Howe's team showed strong defensive discipline, turning Liverpool's danger man Mohamed Salah into a peripheral figure. This was only the third time in a game he started that he failed to complete a shot or create a chance for Liverpool, the previous two being against Arsenal in the League Cup (he played 61 minutes) and the first leg of the Champions League last 16 against Paris Saint-Germain (he was substituted with 4 minutes remaining).

Newcastle United could have, and should have, scored more goals, as they completely overwhelmed Liverpool, who looked like they were running in quicksand, a loss that compounded their Champions League penalty shootout defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in midweek. Howe, the victorious leader and hero, usually calm and composed, admitted that he too was caught up in the significance of this game – not just for a football club, but for a city.

Howe said: "I'm very, very emotional, and have been all day, which is very unlike me. We know what it means for all our supporters. We wanted to make them proud and to win a trophy. I'm delighted with the result and the performance. We deserved to win, but when Liverpool scored, it became difficult. I was thinking about extra time. We always put ourselves in difficult situations. It's never going to be 2-0."

Howe added: "We're very aware of the history. We want to make the club proud. We want to score goals. We want to perform well, we want to win. We're creating new memories. I thought we were excellent." Even Howe admitted to being surprised by Burn's goal, adding: "We've worked on set-pieces for two weeks for this game, and if you saw us in training, you'd say we've got no chance. We couldn't believe Dan Burn scored. He hasn't been training like that."

This is not just a victory for a football club and its fans. It is a victory that a city has waited 56 years to enjoy. After a day that will forever remain in the memory of the "Geordies," this long-awaited celebration will stretch all the way from Tyneside to Wembley.