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Here’s David Hytner’s report from Wembley.
When the manager took over in November 2021, Newcastle were in the Premier League’s relegation zone. He began by restoring stability, self-respect, and then led them up the division and into the Champions League. The dismantling of Paris Saint-Germain in October 2023 on the night when St James’ Park hosted Champions League football for the first season since 2002-03 will live forever. It was topped by this.
Graeme Hull: “It makes perfect sense that I’d watch Newcastle win the first major trophy in my supporting lifetime on a dodgy WiFi connection 36000 feet above Maryland.”
Enjoy, Graeme.
John Ramsay: “Spurs will win something next. Then there will be a huge tear in the space/time continuum…”
Anil gets in touch: “Listened to the whole game on 5Live, 13 hours away on the other side of the world. At the final whistle I ran around screaming and all the passengers on the boat I’m on in New Zealand thought I’d gone stir crazy. Hard to express to elderly German tourists what it means to a long suffering Newcastle fan. My dad would have been overjoyed. He’s no longer with us but I like to think he was also running around screaming with joy, wherever he is. Maybe not on a boat, though.”
Joe Meredith gets in touch: “A conflicting feeling as a neutral, what with the Saudi sportswashing. But here’s to all the Toon fans who’ve spoken out against it – they more than anyone should be given the grace to enjoy tonight. Like many, I felt like the Magpies were my second club in the 90s – the firecracker players and exciting football have been long overdue silverware, I think.”
David gets in touch: “Worth mentioning that when we talk about ‘sportswashing’ it is exactly this. Tens of thousands of fans rightfully enjoying their success immune to the conditions that brought them there.”
Newcastle fans will enjoy their moment but those issues cannot be ignored,
Liverpool have taken their walk of pain to collect their losers’ medals. Now it’s Newcastle’s turn. Bruno Guimarães receives the trophy and lifts it with Kieran Trippier. Anthony Gordon has joined the party, too.
Virgil van Dijk, to his credit, congratulated Dan Burn, the hero of the hour. Let’s be frank here, Newcastle were excellent, they wanted it more. Deserved winners. Liverpool’s post-mortem can begin soon.
Richard S: “Watched it in a pub in Liverpool. The landlord switched it straight off – right on the final whistle. Such bad losers!”
Mike IE: “Slot has reaped what he has sown by running his favoured starting XI into the ground.”
Riley Strother: “Words cannot describe this feeling.”
Chris Paraskevas: “What a famous, immortal win, thanks to the most un-Newcastle Cup Final performance of all time: calculated, controlled, ruthless.
“Eddie Howe has earned his place in history for being the first Newcastle manager to manage Geordie emotions perfecrly in a Final: how often has this club fallen over itself at the final hurdle? Too emotional. Too cursed. Too unlucky. Tonight he added the missing ingredient: Professionalism.
“You sensed we were more mature at kick-off. This was our moment and we seized it. Now we can lay to rest the ghosts of 1974, the 90s, 2022 and the 8-0 Hammering against the A-League All Stars. Drink it in Geordies: you earned it.”
Micki Attridge: “They’ll be dancing in the streets of Riyadh tonight!.”
Richard Morris: “A bit harsh perhaps and I’m a neutral – but given about 3 weeks ago Liverpool were talking about the quadruple, and now they will win one trophy at best – will Slot be viewed as not quite all he was cracked up to be? The Klopp team win the league thanks to their early season form but once Slot works his magic….er they tail off?”
Colum gets in touch: “The look on Federico Chiesa’s face when the announcement of the VAR decision to allow the goal was something to behold. Disbelief at first when he thought it had been ruled offside, then joy.”
“The best day of my life,” says Bruno Guimarães. “This is my second home. We are making history. One day I will leave this club and I want the fans to sing my name like they do Shearer.”
If you never thought you’d see the day, this was it. Liverpool are beaten as Newcastle end 70 years of hurt. Local Hero plays out, and Dan Burn fulfilled that role. Well done, Newcastle. A bad week for Liverpool just got worse.
Dreams come true. Photograph: Dylan Martinez/Reuters
90+11 min: That’s it. Newcastle have won a trophy. It’s true!
90+10 min: Here go Liverpool, but they lose it. Joelinton is going to be sent off for throwing Elliott to the ground. Elliott is in pain. No, not sent off? Amazing.
90+9 min: Tonali has a corner but is booked for tieing his shoelaces. Willock forces a throw. Will Liverpool get their chance?
90+8 min: Bruno keeps the ball in the corner. There’s all types of tussles. Chiesa is booked for hacking away. Tonali and Willock shepherd the ball into the other corner.
90+6 min: Chiesa looked amazed to be granted that goal. The Newcastle fans shellshocked. Alan Shearer looked like he had seen a ghost.
A goalmouth scramble. Nunez falls over. Bruno loses it, and Chiesa is sent away, and scores. There’s a lengthy, lengthy VAR delay. Oh Newcastle, oh no! They couldn’t, could they. Jon Brooks takes to the mic to announce the goal.
Liverpool’s Federico Chiesa scores their first goal. Photograph: David Klein/Reuters
90+3 min: Eddie Howe on the sidelines, pleading with his players to keep shape, one last tackle, one last interception.
90+1 min: Kelleher has to intervene as Wilson threatens. Peter Drury is doing 1969 now. Bobby Moncur, Willie “Liam” McFaul and all that.
90 min: Jacob Murphy limps off, and Jason Tindalls sends on Emil Krafth to see out eight (8) minutes of stoppage time. What can Liverpool find?
89 min: Jeers as Salah, the magic man, can’t keep the ball in. Wembley Way is probably by now filled with Scouse invective. Their boys just didn’t show. It’s been a chastening week.
87 min: Arne Slot is raging now. He will win the title but his team looks in need of a rebuild. Not easy. Van Dijk looks the most annoyed. He’s been a one-man defence.
86 min: Peter Drury has gone beyond 1974; we’re now living in 1955 when Newcastle last won the FA Cup. Liverpool playing hurry-up offense but being forced back and back and back. Huge cheers as the ball goes back to Nick Pope.
85 min: Newcastle can almost taste the champagne. Liverpool can almost taste the bitterness of an afternoon gone very sour. They’ve never remotely been at it.
84 min: Livramento wins a corner. They will take their time here. The ball eventually nodded into Wilson’s path. He smashes over the bar.
83 min: Willock is quickly involved, setting up Joelinton to smash his shot wide. The Brazilian has had a fine game. Next, Tonali has a shot. Kelleher claims at the second time of asking. Liverpool continue to gape.
82 min: Isak the scorer, takes his leaves, what a fine finish for the second goal. Callum Wilson goes on. Harvey Barnes departs, after a fine showing. On comes the popular Joe Willock.
80 min: Liverpool push on and on, this is better. Schar steps in and smashes away. Salah seeing some of the ball but on the fringes. The Geordie choir sing to kill their nerves. They cheer when Jones smashes over.
78 min: Chiesa wins a free-kick. Everyone up as Szoboszlai whips it in. Big Dan Burn commands the skies.
77 min: Murphy throws himself at a Szoboszlai cross. Every Newcastle kick is cheered, every block.
75 min: The Dutch tradition – Cruyff included – was always to chuck the kitchen sink at it. Pope climbs up to palm away a corner. Then Isak is almost sent away by the excellent Barnes. Liverpool are open, gaping holes.
73 min: Quansah attempts to get it launched. It spins out of play. Here comes Chiesa – 2021 Wembley wizard. Diaz is off for Elliot. Gravenberch is gone, too. What does that formation become? Panic, quite frankly. Slot’s ultra-calm has gone. This is Klopp-ball on crystal meth.
72 min: Justin Kavanagh continues the 1974 tip: “One more goal for the Magpies, along with a clean sheet, and the ghost of 1974 will be forever buried. Then Eddie Howe can gently rib the Reds by saying that football’s not a matter of life and death.”
Liverpool’s revival yet to evidence itself.
71 min: The word is Salah has had three touches in 25 minutes. Jason Tindall has done a right number on him.
70 min: Where are Liverpool? Where are the Liverpool of early season? We’ve not seen them in some time. Gravenberch squirts the ball out.
69 min: Eddie Howe is on the scene when Szoboszlai fouls Bruno. Barnes almost sets up a third. Anthony Gordon has not been too missed. Liverpool clear and Murphy shoots wide.
67 min: Gakpo for Mac Allister is the latest Slot change. Newcastle have nine men on the field then both come on as they have a break, Isak tries to play in Joelinton but overhits.
65 min: Big Dan Burn does a Peter Kay and just smashes it skyward. Two Toon players doon. Joelinton and Isak both receive treatment.
64 min: Oh my! Newcastle almost score a third. Trippier’s ball is volleyed across by Barnes to Isak and Kelleher scoops the ball off the line.
63 min: Liverpool now facing a wall of black and white. Nunez is loose in his touch. Burn’s tackle put him off.
61 min: This could be a long half-hour for the Toon Army. Mac Allister’s corner is headed away. Liverpool now dominating, and Joelinton deflects behind.
59 min: Liverpool’s best attack yet. Jones sets it up and gets on the end. Nick Pope makes a fine save. Tonali is down. He and Bruno smashed into each other as Szoboszlai lays up Jones.
Save: Newcastle United goalkeeper Nick Pope makes a save from a shot by Liverpool’s Curtis Jones. Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA
58 min: Another Newcastle set piece. This time, Van Dijk climbs and heads away.
56 min: Sam Trenery gets in touch: “While I’m normally as happy to decry referees, the FA and the shadow government as the next Liverpool fan, I’m more concerned by the team themselves. We’ve been beyond bad. We’ve been insipid. The players don’t look like they care in the slightest. That’s more infuriating than any marginal refereeing decision.”
55 min: Arne Slot has seen enough. Curtis Jones and Darwin Nunez are coming on. Can Newcastle hold their nerve. Jota departs, he was disappointing. Darwin supplying the random factor. Konate off, which means Gravenberch at centre-back. The Slot button being pushed.
54 min: That was a beauty, a reminder that direct football has its place. Classic wing play and overlap, the nod down and finish.
53 min: Liverpool all over the place. Barnes sends Livramento down the wing, Murphy nods down, and Isak smashes home. What a moment.
No matter, it’s 2-0, and a great finish. What a noise.
Alexander Isak scores their second goal. Photograph: David Klein/Reuters
Thumbs up: Alexander Isak celebrates scoring their second goal. Photograph: Andrew Couldridge/Action Images/Reuters
51 min: Burn on Mac Allister at this corner. The ball is in the net. Joelinton scoops it in, Bruno in front of the keeper and the ball is poked in by Isak. Goal ruled out – Bruno was interfering with play.
No Goal: Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak celebrates scoring a goal that was later disallowed. Photograph: Dylan Martinez/Reuters
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