Man Utd, Newcastle Go for Broke in Carabao Cup Final

The final of the Carabao Cup takes centre stage tomorrow as Manchester United and Newcastle United go head-to-head at Wembley Stadium.
The two sides have been in fine form this season, with each of them mounting a strong bid to finish in the top four in the Premier League.
However, their immediate focus will be on this weekend, which provides both clubs with an opportunity to end their respective trophy droughts.
Man United have not lifted silverware since winning the Europa League in 2016/17 – a poor statistic for a club of their stature.

You have to go back to 1955 to find the last time Newcastle won a major trophy courtesy of a victory over Manchester City in the final of the FA Cup.
The Red Devils are marginal favourites with the bookmakers to record their sixth win in this competition and fifth since the turn of the century.
The latest odds on the sportsbooks listed at betyou.ie rate United as 4/6 shots to get their hands on the trophy, which looks good value given their current form.
Erik ten Hag’s side are unbeaten in their last eight outings in all competitions and will fancy their chances of success this weekend.

They have beaten Aston Villa, Burnley, Charlton Athletic and Nottingham Forest to reach the final and have rarely been troubled on the road to Wembley.
Man United put Forest to the sword in the semi-finals, winning 3-0 at the City Ground before completing the job with a comfortable 2-0 home victory.
Their recent record against Newcastle bodes well for their chances, with the Manchester club winning four and drawing two of their last six meetings.

However, their form over the past few weeks will likely be a more crucial factor in their bid to end a near seven-year wait to win a trophy.

Their performances have been top-notch, drawing favourable comparisons with the teams which won plenty of trophies under Sir Alex Ferguson.

Ten Hag has built a well-drilled unit – one which is able to keep things tight at the back and dominate the opposition.

While Newcastle are much-improved this season, you would be hard-pushed to argue they are hitting the same heights as Man United at the moment.

They haven’t beaten the Red Devils since October 2019, when Matty Longstaff’s goal gave them a 1-0 win at St James’ Park in the Premier League.

The Magpies pushed Ten Hag’s side hard at Old Trafford earlier this season, securing a 0-0 draw to boost their hopes of finishing in the top four.

Joelinton and Miguel Almiron missed good chances for Newcastle, although Marcus Rashford should have won it for the home side with a late header.

The result highlighted the progress Newcastle have made under manager Eddie Howe, but they have looked a little off the pace in recent weeks.

Southampton caused them plenty of headaches in the second leg of their last four tie, while Liverpool had no difficulty defeating them in the league last weekend.

Howe will be keen to end Newcastle’s dismal run in major finals, with the club finishing as runners-up on their last four attempts to win a trophy.

Since winning the 1969 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup final, the Magpies have come up short in three FA Cup finals (1974, 1998 & 1999) and a League Cup (1976).

The north east outfit have been defeated in their last eight matches at Wembley – a run that may play on the minds of the players this weekend.

By contrast, Man United have several players in their ranks who have won silverware with other teams, and that experience could prove vital this weekend.

The Red Devils have come a long way in a short period under Ten Hag and winning the Carabao Cup would be the perfect way to demonstrate his methods are working.