Liverpool v Newcastle: Carabao Cup final updates – live
Key events
86 min: Peter Drury has gone beyond 1974; we’re now living in 1955 when Newcastle last won the FA Cup. Liverpool playing hurry-up offense but being forced back and back and back. Huge cheers as the ball goes back to Nick Pope.
85 min: Newcastle can almost taste the champagne. Liverpool can almost taste the bitterness of an afternoon gone very sour. They’ve never remotely been at it.
84 min: Livramento wins a corner. They will take their time here. The ball eventually nodded into Wilson’s path. He smashes over the bar.
83 min: Willock is quickly involved, setting up Joelinton to smash his shot wide. The Brazilian has had a fine game. Next, Tonali has a shot. Kelleher claims at the second time of asking. Liverpool continue to gape.
82 min: Isak the scorer, takes his leaves, what a fine finish for the second goal. Callum Wilson goes on. Harvey Barnes departs, after a fine showing. On comes the popular Joe Willock.
80 min: Liverpool push on and on, this is better. Schar steps in and smashes away. Salah seeing some of the ball but on the fringes. The Geordie choir sing to kill their nerves. They cheer when Jones smashes over.
78 min: Chiesa wins a free-kick. Everyone up as Szoboszlai whips it in. Big Dan Burn commands the skies.
77 min: Murphy throws himself at a Szoboszlai cross. Every Newcastle kick is cheered, every block.
75 min: The Dutch tradition – Cruyff included – was always to chuck the kitchen sink at it. Pope climbs up to palm away a corner. Then Isak is almost sent away by the excellent Barnes. Liverpool are open, gaping holes.
73 min: Quansah attempts to get it launched. It spins out of play. Here comes Chiesa – 2021 Wembley wizard. Diaz is off for Elliot. Gravenberch is gone, too. What does that formation become? Panic, quite frankly. Slot’s ultra-calm has gone. This is Klopp-ball on crystal meth.
72 min: Justin Kavanagh continues the 1974 tip: “One more goal for the Magpies, along with a clean sheet, and the ghost of 1974 will be forever buried. Then Eddie Howe can gently rib the Reds by saying that football’s not a matter of life and death.”
Liverpool’s revival yet to evidence itself.
71 min: The word is Salah has had three touches in 25 minutes. Jason Tindall has done a right number on him.
70 min: Where are Liverpool? Where are the Liverpool of early season? We’ve not seen them in some time. Gravenberch squirts the ball out.
69 min: Eddie Howe is on the scene when Szoboszlai fouls Bruno. Barnes almost sets up a third. Anthony Gordon has not been too missed. Liverpool clear and Murphy shoots wide.
67 min: Gakpo for Mac Allister is the latest Slot change. Newcastle have nine men on the field then both come on as they have a break, Isak tries to play in Joelinton but overhits.
65 min: Big Dan Burn does a Peter Kay and just smashes it skyward. Two Toon players doon. Joelinton and Isak both receive treatment.
64 min: Oh my! Newcastle almost score a third. Trippier’s ball is volleyed across by Barnes to Isak and Kelleher scoops the ball off the line.
63 min: Liverpool now facing a wall of black and white. Nunez is loose in his touch. Burn’s tackle put him off.
61 min: This could be a long half-hour for the Toon Army. Mac Allister’s corner is headed away. Liverpool now dominating, and Joelinton deflects behind.
59 min: Liverpool’s best attack yet. Jones sets it up and gets on the end. Nick Pope makes a fine save. Tonali is down. He and Bruno smashed into each other as Szoboszlai lays up Jones.
58 min: Another Newcastle set piece. This time, Van Dijk climbs and heads away.
56 min: Sam Trenery gets in touch: “While I’m normally as happy to decry referees, the FA and the shadow government as the next Liverpool fan, I’m more concerned by the team themselves. We’ve been beyond bad. We’ve been insipid. The players don’t look like they care in the slightest. That’s more infuriating than any marginal refereeing decision.”
55 min: Arne Slot has seen enough. Curtis Jones and Darwin Nunez are coming on. Can Newcastle hold their nerve. Jota departs, he was disappointing. Darwin supplying the random factor. Konate off, which means Gravenberch at centre-back. The Slot button being pushed.
54 min: That was a beauty, a reminder that direct football has its place. Classic wing play and overlap, the nod down and finish.
53 min: Liverpool all over the place. Barnes sends Livramento down the wing, Murphy nods down, and Isak smashes home. What a moment.
Goal! Liverpool 0-2 Newcastle (Isak, 53)
No matter, it’s 2-0, and a great finish. What a noise.
Newcastle goal ruled out!
51 min: Burn on Mac Allister at this corner. The ball is in the net. Joelinton scoops it in, Bruno in front of the keeper and the ball is poked in by Isak. Goal ruled out – Bruno was interfering with play.
50 min: Van Dijk is the wall that Newcastle are trying to get round. He’s not impressed with his colleagues. Isak is quiet, the rest are lively. Barnes wins another corner.
48 min: Salah seeing more of the ball already, Liverpool already livelier. Is the Klopp-ball button pushed?
47 min: Nick Pope gets it launched. Newcastle push high and Liverpool go away. Joelinton goes all the way back to clear danger.
Back away at Wembley…
46 min: Newcastle get us underway. Arne Slot off his bench early on. So many things to improve.
David Wood: “Sitting in the pub, mixed fans and we could all see that coming. Poor game plan to allow Burn to be up against Mac. Need a big half time talk.”
Sub-optimal stuff from Liverpool.
Today’s other football.
Rupert gets in touch: “Newcastle have deservedly their noses in front. But, but, but, why is Macca marking the big man Burn? Whose idea is it? Van Dijk scored the winner last season because Mudryk was marking him, it was a clear mismatch. “
Justin Kavanagh: “Poor old Supermac: There was a trivia question in the 70s along the lines of “what’s brought to a Cup Final every year but never used?” The correct answer was the loser’s ribbons; the wag’s answer was Malcolm MacDonald (he played in a couple more finals in 1976—for Newcastle—and 1978—for Arsenal—but lost them too).”
Kari Tulinius: “I’m not a fan of Newcastle, but it would take a heart of stone not to cheer for Northumbrian lad Dan Burn scoring a goal in the league cup final for the Magpies. “
JBL: “Pretty sure the actress who played Spuggy was from Sunderland (Farringdon area), so not sure she will be celebrating with Ant and Dec.”
Kevin Metcalf: “Why is it, with offsides now not necessarily being flagged on the pitch, that a goal resulting from an offside would (in theory) be disallowed, but a corner is not? Newcastle have just been allowed to gain a corner from a player receiving the ball in an offside position and this seems worse than before the advent of VAR.”
Richard McGahey: “Trippier and Diaz “clash?” Diaz high in the air, Trippier runs under him and undercuts him, pushing Diaz with his arm, again no attempt to play the ball.”
A bit worrying for Liverpool if their fans are already looking to officialdom. Their team has been poor so far.
Half-time: Liverpool 0-1 Newcastle
On the balance of play, and desire, Newcastle deserve their lead, and it came from a predictable source. Eddie Howe has been working on the set pieces and Liverpool’s defender allowed Dan Burn, the biggest man on the field, the aerial supremacy.
45+3 min: Salah – the superman – springs into action. But Diaz shanks wide. That’s it for the half.
45+2 min: Dec’s delighted. So is Spuggy, wherever she is. Donna Air, too. Newcastle’s is a deserved lead.
45+1 min: Trippier’s corner, Van Dijk and Konate nowhere near and Burn nods home. What a noise! Their first cup final goal since 1976 and Alan Gowling.
Goal! Liverpool 0-1 Newcastle (Big Dan Burn, 45+1)
The big man, from a corner….
44 min: Liverpool will be relieved when half-time comes. Their midfield is losing out. Perhaps Newcastle will have tied up after the break. Ian Rush, Kenny Dalglish and Steven Gerrard all seen in the crowd. Kenny managed both clubs and son Paul, beside him, was on the books of both,
42 min: Richard Hirst on 1974: “Oh John, how can it be before you were born. I remember when Supermac was playing for Fulham, as a left back! Before he went to Luton and onwards. If only he’d stayed at Fulham he might have become something.”
40 min: Did Trippier handball in the box? Looked it. VAR waves it away. Let it flow. “Arms out for balance,” says Stuart Atwell. That would have been harsh. Liverpool haven’t played well enough to get a helping hand like that.
39 min: Multiple clash of heads between Joelinton and Quansah, Szoboszlai too. All will be OK to continue.
38 min: Has Tripper twanged his hamstring? He’s rubbing it as if he has. The veteran has been throwing himself into anything.
36 min: Liverpool just can’t get going. Newcastle: can they keep this up? Lots of hacks clear as Liverpool clear their lines but then Pope comes from his box again. Watch out for that. Joelinton then muscles Quansah. Huge roars. “Geordies,” they sing.
35 min: Barnes on the burst. His ball is headed off Robertson and the rebound is smashed – off Robertson – and behind. From the corner, Trippier swings the ball in, Big Dan Burn climbs highest but Kelleher will not be beaten by that.
33 min: Tripper and Diaz clash. A warning to Tripper from Brooks that there will be no more of that. Beyond that, let it flow.
32 min: Toon corner. Trippier takes, Van Dijk powers it away. Big Dan Burn and Kelleher climb for the second ball. The keeper claims it.
30 min: Liverpool corner, smashed by Robertson, read by Joelinton at the near post. Next, Robertson, back at left-back, sends away Diaz, and Pope cleans out the ball. A foul? No, Diaz was offside in any case.
28 min: The face of Jason Tindall is pictured on Ant McPartlin’s scarf. Or is it Dec? It’s definitely Jase, hero of the Geordie nation.
27 min: Liverpool try to sit on the ball and Isak almost steals the ball. Quansah has to take evasive action. Salah has been quiet.
25 min: Konate has to hack behind but Murphy could have played it earlier to Isak. Liverpool reeling? They have to hurry away a corner after a Kelleher flap. The keeper eventually lies on the ball.
23 min: Newcastle the better team. Barnes sends Isak away, and Tonali gets the reverse pass, then shoots wide. No clear-cut chance yet.
21 min: Toon corner: Big Dan Burn and Schar go forward. It’s taken short and Isak can only foul. Ant and Dec pictured in the crowd but separately. Alan Shearer, too. No signs yet of Jimmy Nail, Sting or Spuggy.
19 min: A brief slowdown, but Newcastle still go long. Schar gets it launched Isak has been starved. They will hope this is not a Supermac 1974 when the great man hardly got a kick. (Yes, it was before I was born.)
17 min: Oof, a cruncher from Mac Allister on Joelinton. No booking? Let it flow, says the referee. Joelinton is hurt and making adjustments.
