Manchester United finally won a trophy after defeating Newcastle United in the 2022-2023 Carabao Cup final at Wembley stadium. The Red Devils ended their six-year-long title drought with a well-earned victory against a high-flying Newcastle United side. They have been crowned the Carabao Cup champions for the sixth time in their history.
Manchester United’s Title Drought
Ever since the departure of their legendary manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, the Red Devils have found it hard to keep pace with the elite clubs of European football. They have gone through a lot of ups and downs since he left the club in 2013. But there have been more ups than downs. This is evident from the fact that before Sunday’s final the Red Devils were going through a six-year-long title drought.
The last time Manchester United fans witnessed their side lifting a title was in the 2016-2017 Europa League Final. They defeated the Dutch side, AFC Ajax, in the final under the management of Jose Mourinho. They have also crowned the EFL Cup champions during the same campaign by defeating Southampton by three goals to two in the final.
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Carabao Cup Final – as it happened
It was an evenly matched contest in the opening stages of the game, with both sides being a bit circumspect. But it all changed when United broke the deadlock by scoring in the 33rd minute of the game. Casemiro got his side up and running by scoring a towering header from Luke Shaw’s freekick.
The Red Devils cemented their grip on the match shortly afterwards as Marcus Rashford got on the scoresheet again. The Englishman scored his 25th goal of the season by finishing off Weghorst’s smartly played through ball. He got a bit lucky as the shot deflected off Sven Botman and looped over the top of Newcastle’s makeshift goalkeeper, Loris Karius.
After going 2-0 up United defended well and made it very hard for Newcastle to get back in the game. The scoreline could have been a lot worse for the Newcastle fans, but Karius made sure his side lost by a respectable margin by making 2 to 3 crucial saves during the 2nd half of the game. All in all, it was a good game for the neutrals with United being the deserved winner.
What’s next for both sides?
United fans must be over the moon about the fact that their side’s title drought has finally come to an end. Project Erik ten Hag is well and truly underway. They would be really hopeful that the Dutchman can bring the lost glory back to their historic club and this cup win is just the beginning. The Red Devils have still got a lot to play for this season. They have reached the Round of 16 stage of the UEFA Europa League stage after defeating FC Barcelona. Also, they have still got an outside chance of winning the Premier League.
Newcastle United fans must be distraught over their side’s performance after getting so close to lifting a title. But at the same time, they must be really proud of their team for making it to the final of the competition. All is not lost for Newcastle; the Magpies have been in fine form this season and have a fair chance of making it to the top 4. The defeat in the final was only their 4th defeat this season, in all competitions. So, the Newcastle fans must be really looking forward to making it to Europe next season.
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