Jubilant Howe salutes Magpies as they end long wait for glint of silver against listless Liverpool at Wembley
Liverpool 1 Newcastle United 2
For vast generations of everyone connected with Newcastle United, it was a case of the longer the wait, the sweeter the taste.
And that patience - going all the way back seventy long years - exploded at Wembley. An ending in style, with a richly deserved 2-1 win over Liverpool in a tense Carabao Cup final.
Newcastle's angel and sorcerer of the north, Alexander Isak, and imperious defender Dan Burn, lifted the decades-long fog and famine on the Tyne on a day when Eddie Howe's side will be lauded hereafter.
The clouds of hope and regular despair across Tyneside lifted, surely the idea of habitually winning things will become a justified staple in these parts. The Saudi owners demanded this at some point in the club's advanced financial development and advantage. But the fans who have been so exhausted for silverware wanted and craved a trophy far more.
Meanwhile, a capital chill of complacency affected Liverpool, favourites to win the League Cup for a record 11th time. Yet the sheer desire of Newcastle on the day was much more evident. There can be no complaints from the red half of Merseyside on what has turned out to be a deeply disappointing few days.
The Carabao Cup now joins the Champions League in Liverpool's what-might-have-been episodes in an otherwise dominant domestic season. Paris Saint-Germain prevailed at Anfield on penalties in Europe. Now this surprise loss, both in terms of result and performance, especially for Reds boss Arne Slot.
Joy
There were understandable tears of joy from Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes as well as so many Geordies who dared to dream of a day like this in London. They have experienced too many disappointments in national stadium finals before now.
Yet here we are for the self-styled Geordie nation. Many in black and white recall, for instance, Malcolm 'Supermac' MacDonald promising to take Liverpool apart in the 1974 FA Cup final only to disappoint as the Reds won comfortably. Other FA Cup finals lost, against Manchester United and Arsenal too. Now, the Magpies seized their glint of silver.
Brazilian Guimaraes harnessed his emotional battle in leading Newcastle to glory in the best possible sense. This was fully deserved for manager Eddie Howe - now etched as a hero forever on Tyneside - regardless of where his personal career path takes him.
Howe's decision to keep pre cup final media exposure to a minimum in the build up was vindicated. The Saudis have, naturally, bankrolled the club, although there is nothing unique in that in the higher echelons of the English game. Trophies still have to be earned, regardless of balance sheets.
Liverpool, on the other hand, were believers in the external hype to a degree which badly cost them.
Disappointing
"A disappointing result and a disappointing performance," Slot admitted afterwards. Facing Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle, they are two very good teams."
Considering the effervescent season Liverpool have had to date, and a commanding lead at the summit of the Premier League table, it appears incomprehensible to consider the notion of failing in two competitions within a matter of days.
So much had centred on the Magpies' long wait for a domestic trophy.
Two years ago Howe's team were accused of playing the occasion rather than the game when they lost 2-0 in the Carabao final against an ordinary Manchester United side. That frustration rankled with the Toon Army and they hoped their team would find a way to deliver against Liverpool, on paper strong favourites.
Newcastle's bright start was borne of confidence and possibly the knowledge of outclassing Arsenal in both legs of the semi-final.
Ibrahima Konate had passed fit for Liverpool - and the defender's positional sense and anticipation of threats in black and white were needed across the opening half hour, as the Reds were unable to settle and demonstrate their cohesion and passing rhythm.
Aimless long balls to try and stretch Newcastle's veteran back three of Kieran Trippier, Fabian Schar and Burn came to nothing from the soporific league leaders. And how Liverpool, underpinned with a strange lethargy, were punished at the end of an otherwise insipid first half. They barely improved.
England international Burn's powerful header from a Trippier corner could only be described as a detonation of unhinged black and white frenzy. Once the realisation dawned on the Newcastle support that their team were leading at half time in a Wembley cup final, there was always going to be the most fretful of waits.
Amazing
"It's amazing what football can do and its ability to give people days they will always remember," said Howe in the wake of an emotional day for all at Newcastle United and Tyneside overall.
"We won this in the best way possible against the best team in the league."
Quite what Slot had to say in the Liverpool dressing room at the interval is uncertain as they digested Burn's injection. Nevertheless it was an irrelevance, once Isak swept home the second goal for the Magpies in 53 minutes. A difficult task for an off colour Reds was magnified - and impossible to retrieve as it turned out.
"They played over our press and the game was slow," added Slot. "It is difficult to judge if we were physically ready but this game went exactly the way they (Newcastle) wanted it to be - a fight with a lot of duels.
"They are stronger team in the air than us. Credit to Newcastle - I have never seen a player head the ball with so much force (Burn) for their goal. He is one of the few players who can score a goal like that with his head."
Slot slung on Darwin Nunez for Diogo Jota and Curtis Jones for Konate. Jones drew a superb save from Nick Pope in the first genuine test of the Magpies' keeper all afternoon.
Alexis MacAllister was another underwhelming performer for the Merseysiders, and Slot had little option but to replace him with Cody Gakpo in the hope of some rare incision.
Reds' keeper Caoimhin Kelleher's denial of Isak from close range was another indicator of how the wind of this final was blowing. And the introduction of Federico Chiesa - normally a marginal figure at Anfield - really was the last erratic throw of the dice on a day when so many of Liverpool's key creators in particular were bereft of imagination and athleticism.
Chiesa's injury time reply to give Liverpool brief hope - a composed left footed, low finish, was out of sync with the team's overall display. As the minutes ticked away, and Newcastle having been on the cusp of glory on many previous occasions before it had been snatched away, the anxiety etched on the faces of their fans was totally understandable.
Noise
Not that it mattered in the end, amid a cacophony of noise and a mass sea of scarf twirling from the supporters which ultimately saw their team home in the final moments.
Howe added: "It is a victory for the club, the city. They have seen so many disappointments over decades and I encourage everyone to enjoy it. I'm very proud to represent the club.
"I'm so pleased for the players. I love working with them everyday and honoured to be their leader. And the supporters - the support we've had home and away is incredible. I'm so pleased for them that we ended a long wait."
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