Manchester United defeated Newcastle United 2-0 in the Carabao Cup final to break a trophy drought of five years and 278 days. A scoreline the Magpies will feel was outdone by a controversial VAR goal that gave the Red Devils the lead in the 33 minutes.
The Red Devils prevailed in a low-quality but passionate contest owing to goals from Casemiro and Sven Botman’s own goal in the first half.
Since winning the Carabao Cup and Europa League in Jose Mourinho’s inaugural season as manager in 2016–17, Man United has not taken home a trophy.
The 68-year search for a major trophy for Newcastle must continue, but their performance in this tournament and throughout the season will give the raucous Magpies fans at Wembley plenty of hope that even better days are on the future under Eddie Howe.
Man United vs Newcastle score
| 1H | 2H | Final | |
| Man United | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Newcastle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Goals: MAN UNITED — Casemiro — 33 mins
MAN UNITED — Sven Botman OG — 39 mins
Marcus Rashford’s inclusion in the starting lineup, despite having a knock from that encounter at Old Trafford, was welcomed news for Red Devils supporters. Man United had just three days to prepare for this game following their dramatic Europa League victory over Barcelona.
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When Casemiro returned from a domestic suspension in time for this game, it was a foul on Rashford that set him up for the game’s first goal. The free-Luke kick’s Shaw cross was too alluring to pass up, and Casemiro’s header was too precise for Loris Karius, the substitute Newcastle goalkeeper making his first senior football start in over two years.
Even in a game where he was not at his best, it seemed likely that Rashford would have a significant influence given his form since the 2022 World Cup. Rashford sprinted towards Sven Botman after teaming up with Wout Weghorst, fired a low shot that bounced off the centre-foot, back’s and looped over the defenceless Karius.
It was a regrettable goal for the person whose errors cost Liverpool the 2018 Champions League final, and it appeared to undermine Newcastle players’ and fans’ confidence. Alexander Isak was added by Howe for the second half, but Man United opted to let the Magpies have the ball instead and see if they could find a way to score.
Karius certainly made up for his mistakes by stopping Rashford and Bruno Fernandes with outstanding saves to preserve the score at 2-0, but eventually, the Red Devils only wasted time in the second half. The fan moments throughout full-time were undoubtedly ones to remember.
