The 2022-23 EFL Cup final is set to take place at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, with Manchester United and Newcastle United poised to do battle for the silverware.
Manchester United last lifted the trophy in 2017, defeating Southampton 3-2 in the final to clinch their fifth League Cup crown.
WHAT A NIGHT! 😍#MUFC || #UEL— Manchester United (@ManUtd) February 23, 2023
WHAT A NIGHT! 😍#MUFC || #UEL
On the flip side, Newcastle’s first and only EFL Cup final appearance came all the way back in 1976, with the Magpies losing 2-1 to Manchester City on that occasion.
Man Utd knocked out Aston Villa, Burnley and Charlton Athletic in the early rounds, before notching a 5-0 aggregate victory over Nottingham Forest in the semi-finals.
Not only have the Red Devils scored 14 goals in the EFL Cup this season (2.8 goals per game), but they have also conceded just two – keeping four consecutive clean sheets.
On Thursday, Erik ten Hag’s side dispatched Barcelona in the Europa League, winning 2-1 at Old Trafford to achieve a 4-3 aggregate victory.
Having avoided defeat in each of their last nine outings across all competitions – winning 16 of their previous 20 – Man Utd are one of the most in-form teams in the country right now.
As for Newcastle, they dispatched Tranmere Rovers, Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and Leicester City in the early rounds of the EFL Cup, before beating Southampton in the semi-finals.
However, the Magpies have struggled for consistency since then, taking one point from a possible nine in the Premier League to leave them outside the top four.
When you look at the bigger picture, Eddie Howe’s men only managed to win four of their past 11 matches in all competitions.
To make matters worse for Newcastle, they will be without the suspended Nick Pope on Sunday after the goalkeeper picked up a red card in last weekend’s 2-0 defeat to Liverpool.
Head-to-head: Newcastle have failed to win any of their last six meetings with Man Utd, suffering four straight losses before recording back-to-back draws.
Given that Newcastle have managed to win just two of their previous 16 matches against the Red Devils, Ten Hag’s men will be confident of lifting the trophy at Wembley.
Team news: Christian Eriksen and Donny van de Beek remain long-term injury absentees for Man Utd, while Anthony Martial is also expected to miss the final.
As we already mentioned, Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope is suspended. However, Bruno Guimaraes will return from suspension this weekend.
Although Newcastle have enjoyed a hugely impressive campaign up to now, Man Utd are expected to flex their trophy-winning muscles on Sunday.
Forebet predicts that Manchester United will secure the silverware at Wembley, scoring over 1.5 goals while keeping a clean sheet.