Manchester United travelled south to London today for the League Cup final against Newcastle United at Wembley Stadium. 87,000+ fans from all across the north of England packed themselves into the national stadium today, creating a cauldron-like atmosphere despite the chill in the air. United had a chance to win their first trophy in six years today, with Newcastle not having won a major trophy in a whopping 54 years. Managers Erik ten Hag and Eddie Howe knew that while the League/Carabao/EFL Cup is not the most revered trophy in England, winning today would still be a major milestone for either club. United are on their way back to being a dominant force after a decade of mediocrity, while Newcastle (backed by billions of Saudi Arabian dollars) are looking to establish themselves as one of the top English teams.
The match got off to a fierce start, with Newcastle doing all the early running. They showed their pace and quickness in attack right off the bat, but it was United who got the first big chance of the game on 14 minutes when striker Wout Weghorst failed to get clean contact on the ball from a promising position in front of goal. Magpies reserve keeper Loris Karius, a storyline unto himself, saved easily due to a lack of power on the shot. United winger Antony dos Santos then got a shot away a few minutes after that, but it was also a routine catch for Karius. Newcastle then had their best chance of the match around the half hour mark when a ball across the face of the United goal from midfielder Sean Longstaff found winger Allan Saint-Maximin on the left side of the box. Saint-Maximin expertly danced around right back Diogo Dalot, but his shot was saved by United keeper David De Gea at his near post. Saint-Maximin was routinely causing problems for United down the left wing in the first half.
But just as Newcastle were beginning to establish themselves, the Red Devils hit them with a sucker punch on 33 minutes. Striker Marcus Rashford was fouled on the left wing in a forward area, and United were awarded a free kick. Left back Luke Shaw elected to take it, and he played in an absolutely divine aerial ball into the box. Midfielder Casemiro was running onto it along with several other United players, and he got his head to the ball before anyone else did. He didn’t need to do much with it either given the pace and accuracy of the pass. He just redirected the ball on goal, and it flew into the right side of the goal with a diving Karius unable to keep it out. The United supporters at the opposite end roared their approval, and after a fairly lengthy VAR check for offside, the goal stood. 1-0 to United! Casemiro was in the right place at the right time, but Shaw deserves a good heaping of credit for the absolutely perfect free kick.
United doubled their advantage just six minutes later. After a bit of sloppy play in midfield, the ball eventually fell to Weghorst in a bit of space on the left side. He brought the ball forward to the edge of the area since no one was near him, then expertly played in Rashford ahead of him on an overlapping run. Rashford took a touch and then got a shot away with his left foot from a tight angle. Unluckily for Newcastle, the shot took a massive deflection off the leg of center-back Sven Botman and bounced into the air. It went over Karius’s head and into the goal for 2-0! Great run from Rashford, but there was undoubtedly a bit of luck about the finish. When you are in the form Rashford is in though, luck tends to be on your side. It could have been awarded as an own-goal, but Rashford was ultimately credited. As the oft-repeated saying goes, it doesn’t matter how the ball goes in, as long as it does. Weghorst forced another save from Karius at distance during a lengthy first half stoppage time, but after 45 minutes it was 2-0 to United.
Dalot was substituted off for fellow right back Aaron Wan-Bissaka at half time due to being on a yellow card and generally having a tough time with Saint-Maximin. AWB coming on proved to be immense for United at the back. He made a key tackle in the middle of the pitch right away that led to United’s first scoring chance of the second half, although Newcastle did get back and get a block in to make the save easy for Karius. Substitute midfielder Marcel Sabitzer also got himself involved, winning a tackle in midfield and then playing a brilliant ball through to Rashford who’s shot was saved by Karius. For the final 20 minutes or so though, it was all Newcastle. United seemed content to sit back and defend their two goal lead. That is a risky tactic at times, but the form of defenders Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane, and AWB was absolutely sensational. Every time a Newcastle player was in position for a shot, there were at least 3-4 red shirts in the way. Casemiro, midfielder Fred, Sabitzer, and midfield substitute Scott McTominay all put in very good defensive shifts today. Every time extra cover was needed, one of them was there to provide it.
Winger Jacob Murphy went close for Newcastle on 88 minutes when his long-range swerving shot had De Gea beaten, but it flew just wide of the post at the last second. De Gea then had to claw away an awkward header in stoppage time, and midfielder Bruno Fernandes was denied a third United goal later in stoppage time after a last-ditch save from Karius. After an eternity of stoppage time, the final whistle blew and United won 2-0! League Cup champions, and the first major trophy for United since 2017! I was so happy when Bruno and club captain Harry Maguire raised the trophy over their heads!
This match really boiled down to the more clinical team being the winners. Both sides had plenty of scoring opportunities, but United were simply more ruthless in front of goal. ETH was again prescient with his substitutions, most notably the one where he brought on AWB. With him on, Saint-Maximin was nullified and Newcastle looked short of ideas in attack. They still played with a high intensity and fought until the end, but it was a defensive masterclass for United in the second half today. The team spirit and attitude from everyone was excellent. These lads are playing for each other, and they very clearly believe in what the manager is preaching to them. Once the two goals went in, United were never going to give up that lead.
So, an important feather in the cap for ETH, and a great week for him overall. He eliminated Barcelona from Europe on Thursday, won the first trophy available to him to win today, and has United looking good for a top-4 finish. He’s truly worked wonders for us this season. United have looked good at times previous to this under former managers Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Jose Mourinho, but inconsistency always haunted them. Under ETH, it feels like there is more of a tactical plan, and moreover we have the players capable of executing that plan. Every single player in the squad knows what his jobs are in a given situation, and that leads to consistency in results. Credit to his staff as well for understanding and implementing what ETH wants done each match. It is safe to say that United have finally found the transformative manager they were looking for all these years.
The lads will celebrate tonight, and celebrate they should. But it’s back to work again tomorrow, as there is no break in United’s incredibly congested fixture list. United host West Ham United in the 5th Round of the FA Cup at Old Trafford on Wednesday. They will be looking to cause an upset, as United will be heavily favored. The sky is the limit for this squad under ETH though, and he will feel his side is more than capable of advancing towards another trophy. To paraphrase Bruno after the match, “We aren’t done yet.”
Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!
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