Manchester United defeated Newcastle in the final to win the Carabao Cup, their first major victory under Erik ten Hag.
Both teams needed a victory to gain momentum for the future, but it was the Red Devils’ who prevailed.
United, who had not won a trophy since 2017, ended their drought with a 2-0 victory over Newcastle at Wembley.
The goals came courtesy of a header by Casemiro and an own goal by Sven Botman.
This was the first cup final for Newcastle since 1999, when they lost against the same opponent.
Casemiro headed in Luke Shaw’s free kick in the 33rd minutes. Botman then deflected Marcus Rashford’s drive past Loris Karius to give Manchester United control of the game.
Since winning the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1969, Newcastle’s Cup drought has now reached 48 years.
The victory at Wembley was Ten Hag’s first visit to the stadium. This makes him only the second United manager, after Jose Mourinho, to achieve it in their first season in charge.
As the first half progressed, United fans directed their anger at the club’s owners. The chant “we want Glazers out” was directed towards co-owner Avram Glazer, who was in the stands watching the game.
A pair of medical delays eased the early tension in the game. However, Newcastle’s first opportunity on goal sparked a frenetic finish to the first half.
Saint-Maximin seized control of the ball at the far post after a cross soared across the face of the goal. He then dribbled past Diogo Dalot, and then fired a shot at De Gea from inside the six-yard box.
The first goal was came when the recently-returned Bruno Guimaraes fouled Marcus Rashford on the left wing. Shaw then delivered a magnificent free-kick that Casemiro met with a powerful header beyond Karius.
The second goal came after a brilliant pass from Wout Waughout to Rashford whose shot deflected past Botman into the net.
As United slowed the tempo, Howe’s men began to appear more confident against a United group that Ten Hag had previously deemed “annoying” for their time-wasting tactics in the buildup.
Newcastle’s inability to convert possession into scoring opportunities was partly attributable to brilliant performances from Wan-Bissaka and Lisandro Martinez.
