Feb 26, 2023
Rob DawsonCorrespondent
LONDON -- Manchester United ended a six-year trophy drought by beating Newcastle United 2-0 successful the Carabao Cup final astatine Wembley connected Sunday.
Man United manager Erik 10 Hag won the archetypal portion of silverware of his Old Trafford reign acknowledgment to a Casemiro header and a Sven Botman ain goal, separated by conscionable six minutes successful the archetypal half.
For Newcastle -- who were the amended squad successful the 2nd fractional but couldn't find a mode past goalkeeper David De Gea -- their 68-year hold for a large home trophy goes on.
Rapid reaction
1. Man United instrumentality archetypal measurement toward returning to the top
This was Manchester United's archetypal trophy since 2017 and tangible impervious of the advancement made nether Ten Hag this season. Statement wins implicit Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City and Barcelona person been bully for morale, but Ten Hag has insisted each on that he's lone funny successful the trophies -- and helium volition anticipation the 2023 Carabao Cup is the archetypal of many.
United reached 3 semifinals and a last nether erstwhile brag Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but developed a estimation arsenic a squad who couldn't get implicit the line. Ten Hag, who joined the nine successful April, has ended that communicative astatine the archetypal attempt, and this play could yet extremity with much silverware successful the FA Cup, Europa League and, possibly, the Premier League.
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Jose Mourinho won the League Cup successful his archetypal play astatine Old Trafford, too, and though the Europa League trophy followed soon afterwards, it ne'er triggered an epoch of sustained success. But the caller commencement nether Ten Hag feels antithetic and determination is simply a genuine content that this could beryllium the level for bigger and amended things -- successful peculiar a archetypal rubric since 2013 and a archetypal Champions League occurrence since 2008.
There is inactive enactment for Ten Hag to do, but lifting the Carabao Cup is simply a captious archetypal measurement and impervious that what Ten Hag has been doing has been effective.
2. The one-minute series that decided the Carabao Cup final
This wasn't a lawsuit of Newcastle being over-awed by a large juncture because, for the archetypal 30 minutes, they were good successful the contest. The game, though, hinged connected a frantic 60 seconds during which Newcastle could person scored archetypal but ended up going behind.
First, Newcastle winger Allan Saint-Maximin turned defender Diogo Dalot wrong retired and fired successful a changeable that was stopped by a beardown limb from goalkeeper David De Gea. Newcastle fans were inactive roaring aft going adjacent erstwhile Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes barged implicit Man United guardant Marcus Rashford, and past Casemiro headed successful the resulting free-kick from Luke Shaw.
Casemiro was crouched down waiting for the VAR cheque to corroborate the extremity and, erstwhile referee David Coote signalled to the centre ellipse the extremity would stand, the Brazilian fto retired a immense shriek and punched the air. In a crippled betwixt 2 well-matched teams, the archetypal extremity was that important and Casemiro, a seasoned of these large games, knew it.
Newcastle were the amended squad for astir of the 2nd fractional but by that signifier were 2-0 down acknowledgment to a Sven Botman ain extremity which came earlier half-time and conscionable six minutes aft Casemiro's header. The lucifer mightiness person unfolded otherwise had Saint-Maximin taken his accidental conscionable earlier the escaped kick, but Manchester United got the amended of the defining moment.
3. Newcastle United are lone getting started
Playing successful a archetypal Wembley last since 1999, Newcastle fans treated it however you would expect with thousands arriving successful London aboriginal to battalion retired Trafalgar Square a afloat 24 hours earlier kickoff. Without a large home trophy since 1955, Newcastle person been starved of occurrence successful the northeast.
But decision to an in-form Manchester United broadside volition not beryllium the extremity of the story. Newcastle volition beryllium backmost present again sooner alternatively than later.
Newcastle United person been comparatively disciplined with their spending since the Saudi Arabia takeover successful 2021, but the owners volition proceed to amended the squad this summertime and beyond, and visits to Wembley volition go the norm alternatively than a uncommon time out.
This clip past season, Newcastle were lone conscionable making their mode retired of the relegation places but present person realistic ambitions to suffice for the Champions League. Mixing with the likes of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich would adhd to the excitement already gathering astatine St James' Park, though it's silverware that supporters truly crave.
A archetypal Wembley cupful last for astir a 4th of a period ended successful disappointment, but everything is pointing to the tally being breached soon.
Best and worst performers
Best: Casemiro, Manchester United
Scored the all-important archetypal goal, his 5th of the season, and dug successful erstwhile Newcastle piled connected the unit successful the 2nd half.
Best: Luke Shaw, Manchester United
Defended good and his transportation for Casemiro's header was beautiful.
Best: Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Manchester United
Brilliant aft coming connected astatine half-time, some defensively and going forward.
Worst: Callum Wilson, Newcastle United
Lost his conflict with Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane and hardly had a sniff astatine goal.
Worst: Sean Longstaff, Newcastle United
Struggled to enforce himself successful midfield and was replaced with Alexander Isak astatine half-time arsenic Newcastle went successful hunt of a goal.
Worst: Diogo Dalot, Manchester United
Didn't bash a batch incorrect but picked up an aboriginal booking, which meant helium had to travel disconnected astatine half-time.
Highlights and notable moments
Manchester United's Casemiro opened the scoring with an emphatic extremity successful the 33rd minute.
Luke Shaw fired a escaped footwear to the apical of the six-yard box, and Casemiro was determination to motion it in:
CASEMIRO OPENS UP THE SCORING IN THE CARABAO CUP FINAL! pic.twitter.com/w0uagZsVjx
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) February 26, 2023Man United scored against conscionable six minutes aboriginal erstwhile Marcus Rashford's incisive tally gave him a aureate accidental from adjacent range.
His extremity would beryllium marked down arsenic an ain extremity from Sven Botman owed to the deflection it took, but effort telling Rashford this extremity wasn't his:
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) February 26, 2023After the match: What the managers and players said
Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe connected the result: "We played truly good betwixt some boxes today; we gave everything but we conscionable didn't get those breaks astatine some ends. We should person defended the free-kick amended and past the 2nd extremity is simply a killer. We did everything to get backmost successful the game. We had chances but couldn't instrumentality them and that's wherefore we lost. No complaints with however we played, evidently the people enactment doesn't accidental that, and that's wherever shot tin beryllium cruel. Individually and collectively I thought we played well, but it conscionable didn't hap successful the box, and we request to enactment connected that."
Manchester United skipper Bruno Fernandes connected the win: "It's an astonishing feeling. We person been searching for this moment. Us, the fans and nine and each together, yet get our trophy, and I deliberation deservedly. It has been an astonishing period, archetypal trophy of the season, but we privation more. It is not capable for this club, we privation much and we request much due to the fact that our standards request more. For maine it was astir winning trophies, and yet we did it. I americium satisfied but I privation more. I privation overmuch more."
Key stats (provided by ESPN Stats & Information research)
Manchester United won their archetypal League Cup rubric since 2016-17, erstwhile they past won a rubric successful immoderate contention (Carabao Cup, Europa League). This ends the club's longest rubric drought successful 40 years.
Man United person won their sixth League Cup title, breaking a necktie with Aston Villa and Chelsea for third-most by immoderate squad (only Liverpool and Manchester City person more).
Casemiro scored his 3rd vocation extremity successful finals oregon rubric matches since helium began playing successful Europe. He antecedently scored successful the 2016-17 UCL last vs. Juventus and 2017 UEFA Super Cup vs Manchester United (both with Real Madrid).
Casemiro has scored 4 goals successful his past 12 games successful each competitions, 1 much extremity than helium had scored crossed his erstwhile 89 matches.
Casemiro present has six goals this play successful each competitions with Manchester United. That's his 2nd astir successful a play (2020-21 and 2016-17). The lone play helium has scored much goals was 2017-18 (7).
Manchester United's 2nd extremity would person been Marcus Rashford's archetypal extremity successful a last for Manchester United successful 7 last appearances, but the recognition was changed afterward to an ain extremity from Sven Botman.
Newcastle person mislaid each of their past 9 matches astatine Wembley, a tally that began successful the 1974 FA Cup final, extending what is the longest ever losing tally by a nine broadside astatine the venue.
Up next
Manchester United: The Red Devils power their absorption to different cupful competition, the FA Cup, erstwhile they big West Ham United successful the 5th circular connected Wednesday (stream unrecorded connected ESPN+ astatine 2:40 p.m. ET). Then, Man United caput to Liverpool to resume their Premier League run connected March 5.
Newcastle United: The Magpies prime up wherever they near disconnected successful the Premier League and sojourn Manchester City connected Saturday astatine 7:30 a.m. ET.