Newcastle players celebrate after winning the EFL Cup final soccer match between Liverpool and Newcastle at Wembley Stadium in London, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)
Newcastle ended its 70-year-wait for a major domestic trophy by beating Liverpool 2-1 in the English League Cup final on Sunday.
Dan Burn and Alexander Isak scored either side of halftime to seal victory at Wembley.
Substitute Federico Chiesa pulled a goal back for Liverpool in added time, to set up a tense finish, but Newcastle held on.
Newcastle’s last major domestic trophy was the FA Cup in 1955 and this was its first piece of silverware since being bought by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund in 2021.
😍 The moment you’ve been dreaming about, @NUFC fans! 🏆⚫️⚪️#EFL | #CarabaoCupFinal pic.twitter.com/CcecoqZuRX
— Carabao Cup (@Carabao_Cup) March 16, 2025
Liverpool is 12 points clear of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League and looks on course to win a record-equaling 20th English league title this season. But coach Arne Slot was forced to wait for his first trophy since succeeding Jurgen Klopp last year.
The defeat ended a painful week for the Merseyside club, which was knocked out of the Champions League on Tuesday after losing to Paris Saint-Germain in a penalty shootout.
Burn’s powerful header fired Newcastle ahead just before halftime and Isak doubled the lead in the 52nd minute with a sweeping shot from close range.
Newcastle’s last major trophy was the now-defunct Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1969.
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There have been near misses and painful lows in the intervening years including back-to-back FA Cup final losses in 1998 and ’99 and defeat to Manchester United in the League Cup final two years ago.
On this occasion Newcastle was a worthy winner against a Liverpool team that has been too good for its top flight rivals this season – losing just once in the league.
