Liverpool take on the visitors Newcastle in the final match of English Football League Cup. The match will be played on Sunday, March 16th at Wembley, London.
Liverpool undoubtedly made the right choice by appointing Arne Slot. It would have been difficult to imagine a smoother first season in England—not just at Liverpool, but in his managerial career overall. He has silenced all the skeptics who predicted the team would decline following Jurgen Klopp’s departure. The Dutchman is now on the verge of replicating Klopp’s most cherished achievement—winning the Premier League title. The only question left is how soon they will officially secure the trophy. Against Southampton, they trailed at halftime but turned the game around for a 3-1 win, further extending their lead at the top. However, even in the Premier League, there have been occasional missteps, such as the dropped points in the Merseyside Derby against Everton. Worse still, they suffered an embarrassing FA Cup exit at the hands of Championship strugglers Plymouth. Their Champions League campaign also took a dramatic turn—after a hard-fought 2-1 win in Paris against PSG, Alisson’s heroics and key substitutions had given them hope, only for the return leg at Anfield to end in a 1-0 loss, followed by a penalty shootout defeat where Donnarumma’s two saves sealed their fate.
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Newcastle faces a grueling battle this spring. The Magpies have made significant progress under Eddie Howe. In 2023, they secured a fourth-place finish, marking their return to the Champions League. However, their European adventure proved to be a tough challenge—they were drawn into an extremely difficult group, where they fought bravely and earned a respectable number of points but ultimately finished last. The league campaign also suffered, and it wasn’t until spring that they recovered to finish seventh. However, Manchester United’s FA Cup triumph meant that even that position wasn’t enough for a European spot. Due to concerns over Financial Fair Play regulations, the Saudi-backed owners opted for a cautious approach in the transfer market last summer. Despite this, Alexander Isak and his teammates have managed to deliver solid but inconsistent results. They remain in contention for a top-four spot in the Premier League, especially given that fifth place could be enough for Champions League qualification this season. In their last league outing, they edged past West Ham with a 1-0 win. Meanwhile, their FA Cup journey continues into the spring, but their main focus now is the EFL Cup final. Their path to Wembley saw them knock out Nottingham Forest, Chelsea, Brentford, and, most impressively, secure back-to-back 2-0 victories over Arsenal in the semifinals.
In December, Newcastle ended a run of six straight defeats against Liverpool with a dramatic 3-3 draw at home. However, in late February, the Reds responded with a composed 2-0 victory at Anfield. Liverpool simply cannot afford back-to-back setbacks. Given their overall superiority, backing them to win in regulation time seems the safest bet.
Prediction for the match: Liverpool to win.
