Will Arne Slot safe his first trophy as Liverpool boss, or will Eddie Howe finish Newcastle‘s exceptional drought? Look forward to the 2024-25 League Cup closing with our Liverpool vs Newcastle prediction and preview.
Liverpool vs Newcastle Stats: Key League Cup Closing Insights
Liverpool emerged victorious inside 90 minutes in 58.4% of the Opta supercomputer’s simulations.
The Reds are aiming to equal Manchester United’s file for probably the most home English cup titles.
Newcastle United haven’t gained a serious English cup competitors for 70 years.
Sunday’s EFL Cup closing guarantees to be a momentous event; both Liverpool will equal Manchester United’s file for probably the most home cup trophies in English soccer historical past, or Newcastle United will finish an astonishing main silverware drought that spans seven many years.
Defending League Cup champions Liverpool will take their English cup trophies tally to 19 with success at Wembley, drawing stage with their bitter rivals and offering supervisor Arne Slot along with his first style of glory since becoming a member of the Reds.
Whereas that might doubtless be adopted by the Premier League title subsequent month, prevailing on Sunday will go a protracted approach to wiping their disappointing UEFA Champions League exit from their minds.
But it surely’s tough to think about success that means extra to anybody than it might to Newcastle this weekend, with the Magpies final successful main home honours means again in 1955 once they lifted the FA Cup.
Since then, Newcastle have misplaced 5 main home cup finals (2x League Cup, 3x FA Cup), with solely Chelsea ever having an extended run (3x League Cup, 3x FA Cup since 2019). In fact, they reached this stage simply two years in the past however in the end misplaced to Erik ten Hag’s Man Utd.
This, then, will probably be their third League Cup closing look, with the opposite means again in 1976. Liverpool, alternatively, will probably be competing of their fifteenth showpiece on this competitors; their 10 successes is a file matched by nobody.
That goes some approach to portray an image of what Newcastle are up towards on Sunday, as does the very fact they’ve misplaced every of their final 9 video games at Wembley, which is the worst run of any aspect within the stadium’s historical past.
These aren’t the one omens in Liverpool’s favour. On every of the previous 4 events that the League Cup holders have reached the ultimate, they’ve gone on to raise the trophy once more. Man Utd did it in 2009-10, earlier than Manchester Metropolis did so in 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21 as a part of a run of 4 successive triumphs within the competitors.
If Eddie Howe and Newcastle do handle to upset the percentages, it wouldn’t simply be a shocking achievement for the membership. It might even be a notable second extra broadly talking for English managers.
That’s as a result of no English boss has gained a serious trophy with a Premier League membership since 2008, when Harry Redknapp guided Portsmouth to unlikely FA Cup glory. Equally, no English supervisor has lifted the League Cup since Steve McClaren (with Middlesbrough) in 2004.
Howe gained’t be getting carried away dreaming about such landmarks, nevertheless. How might you when you realize Mohamed Salah awaits on Sunday?
Not solely is the Egyptian having fun with most likely the most effective season of his profession and arguably one among biggest by any Premier League participant ever, he additionally loves dealing with Newcastle.
Salah has been instantly concerned in 18 objectives in 16 appearances towards Newcastle for Liverpool in all competitions (10 objectives, 8 assists), solely managing extra towards Man Utd (22) and Man Metropolis (21).
Not that Newcastle don’t have weapons of their very own.
Their hopes doubtlessly hinge on Alexander Isak enjoying a blinder towards Virgil van Dijk, and whereas that’s one thing few have ever achieved, the Sweden worldwide does at the very least have earlier towards the Reds. He’s had a hand in 4 objectives throughout his 5 conferences with them (3 objectives, 1 help – all within the Premier League), which incorporates scoring and aiding when Newcastle and Liverpool final met in December 2024 at St. James’ Park.
Nonetheless, Newcastle’s possibilities gained’t be helped by the absences of Anthony Gordon (suspended) and Lewis Corridor (out for the season), that means they’ll be with out each first-choice choices on their left flank. Jamaal Lascelles and Sven Botman additionally stay out for the foreseeable future.
Liverpool will doubtless be thrilled about Gordon’s absence particularly as each of their senior right-backs are lacking. Conor Bradley isn’t anticipated again from a thigh damage till April, whereas Trent Alexander-Arnold could be a shock inclusion after being pressured off injured in Tuesday’s expensive Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
Liverpool vs Newcastle Head-to-Head
Past Newcastle’s poor run in finals and at Wembley, they’ve additionally bought a dreadful file towards Liverpool.
The Magpies are winless of their final 17 conferences with the Reds in all competitions (D5 L12 – all within the Premier League) since a 2-0 house win beneath McClaren in December 2015. Solely towards Man Utd from 2002 to 2011 have the Magpies ever gone longer with no victory over any opponent of their historical past (19 video games).
There isn’t an in depth historical past of this fixture within the League Cup, although, for what it’s value.
This will probably be simply their third assembly within the League Cup – Newcastle gained 1-0 at Anfield within the 1995-96 fourth spherical, earlier than Liverpool gained 2-0 at St. James’ Park within the 1997-98 quarter-final.
Sunday can even be solely the second home cup closing between these golf equipment after Liverpool gained 3-0 within the 1974 FA Cup closing.
As such, it’ll be the twentieth totally different fixture to be performed within the closing of each the FA Cup and League Cup.
Liverpool vs Newcastle Prediction
The Opta supercomputer makes Liverpool complete favourites for the League Cup closing, with the Reds successful inside 90 minutes in 58.4% of the newest 10,000 simulations.
Nonetheless, that also means Newcastle on the very least took the sport to extra-time (and doubtlessly penalties) in 41.6% of the sims. Contributing to that determine, the Magpies gained inside 90 minutes 20.8% of the time.
Opta Energy Rankings
The Opta Energy Rankings are a worldwide workforce rating system. They assign a capability rating to over 13,000 home soccer groups. This rating is on a scale between zero and 100, the place zero is the worst-ranked workforce on the earth and 100 is the most effective workforce on the earth.
Forward of Sunday’s kick-off at Wembley stadium, right here is the Opta Energy Rating for either side.
Subscribe to our soccer e-newsletter to obtain unique weekly content material. You must also observe our social accounts over on X, Instagram, TikTok and Fb.
