- Manchester United defeated rival Premier League team Newcastle United 2-0 in the EFL Cup final
- Man United had not won a trophy since winning the Europa League six years prior
- A goal from Casemiro and an unlucky deflection off Botman secured the win
Manchester United defeated rival Premier League team Newcastle United 2-0 in the EFL Cup final on Sunday at Wembley to win the cup, the Red Devils‘ first since 2017.
Erik ten Hag won his first trophy since taking over as head coach last summer with a two-goal victory over the Magpies. Man United had not won a trophy since winning the Europa League six years prior.
How the game unfolded
Casemiro opened the scoring for Manchester United.|PHOTO: Sky Sports|
Both teams committed players forward in the opening attacks in the English capital, with Rashford and Antony shining for Man United while Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron were engaged for the magpies.
A ninth-minute hack by Dalot to knock Saint-Maximin to the ground resulted in the first yellow card of the match, putting the Portugal international in a precarious position with plenty of time remaining to play.
Wout Weghorst had the game’s opening opportunity in the 13th minute when he created some space inside the Newcastle area, but the on-loan Manchester United striker was unable to get past Karius.
In the fifteenth minute, Dalot produced a dangerous low cross into the Newcastle box, giving the Red Devils another opportunity, but Fabian Schar barely managed to complete the clearance before Karius easily stopped an effort from Antony.
After a low cross from Sean Longstaff had caused issues inside the Red Devils’ penalty box in the 32nd minute, Man United goalkeeper David de Gea produced a significant save to save a low effort from Saint-Maximin.
The goals
In the 33rd minute of play, Casemiro headed a free kick from Luke Shaw into the goal to give Ten Hag’s team the lead.
The goal stood despite a long VAR review for potential offside, giving the 20-time English champions their first goal in the EFL Cup final.
Rashford demonstrated his readiness before the game’s start, and the forward assisted the Red Devils in taking a 2-0 lead when he received a pass from Weghorst and passed Karius with a deflection off of Botman.
Rashford’s cross from Fred just outside the Newcastle area presented Man United with a chance to add a third goal early in the second half, but the Brazilian missed the target. Later, Karius saved an Antony shot.
Dalot was replaced by Aaron Wan-Bissaka at halftime because the latter had received a yellow card, and the Englishman made some crucial interceptions as Newcastle applied pressure.
Newcastle was applying pressure the other way, but Howe’s team was finding it difficult to create clean chances because Man United was playing excellent defence.
Saint-Maximin posed a persistent danger, but Wan-Bissaka was up to the task, and the right-back displayed outstanding pace adjustment after coming on at halftime.
United players celebrating the win.|PHOTO: Getty Images|
As the Red Devils continued to sputter, Lisandro Martinez blocked a thunderous drive from Joelinton.
Man United, who had a great opportunity to add a third goal late on through Fernandes, have won the League Cup for the sixth time in their history. They are still competing in the FA Cup and Europa League, which bodes well for Ten Hag’s first season as manager.
What next for United?
The Red Devils will play their next match at home against West Ham United in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Wednesday.
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