Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher admitted that Newcastle United “battered” the Reds in the 2025 Carabao Cup final as he issued a blunt response following his old club’s defeat.
The Magpies defied pre-game expectations as they pulled off an upset in the showpiece at Wembley with a famous hard-fought 2-1 victory. This win meant that the Toon earned silverware for a first time since the 1969 Fairs Cup and a first domestic trophy since the 1955 FA Cup.
In the same week that he earned a call-up to the England squad, Dan Burn opened the scoring for his hometown club before half-time. From there, Alexander Isak was able to double Newcastle’s lead following the break to establish what proved to be an unassailable lead for the eventual victors.
Although the Reds did rally, halving the Magpies’ advantage in injury time through a strike from Federico Chiesa, this goal proved to be in vain. On a momentous day for the upwardly mobile North East outfit, the final whistle confirmed that Eddie Howe’s team had earned immortality on Tyneside.
The loss compounded what had already been a week to forget for Liverpool, having also been knocked out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain in midweek. Reflecting on the defeat at Wembley, former Anfield defender Carragher acknowledged that his former club did not do enough to deserve to win the final.
Giving a blunt appraisal of the performance from Arne Slot’s men, he said: “Newcastle didn’t just win today, they battered Liverpool. I find it difficult to be too critical, given what Liverpool look like they will go on to achieve. Newcastle are a great Premier League team and they have wiped the floor with them today.”
(Image: Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
The former defender, who won the competition three times during his career with Liverpool, was fully aware of the historic significance of the win for the Reds’ opponents at Wembley. He added: “No matter what happens next with Newcastle, they will always be remembered for this. Eddie Howe has massively improved as a coach since coming to Newcastle.”
Meanwhile, Toon boss Howe reflected on a landmark occasion in London, as he said: “I am very very emotional and been all day which is unlike me. We knew what was at stake today for all of our fans, we wanted to do them proud and win the trophy.
“I am so, so pleased with the result and the performance – we deserved to win today. It was tough when Liverpool scored. I was thinking about extra time, we always make it difficult for ourselves it was never going to be 2-0.”
After falling to a wounding loss at the national stadium, the Reds’ players will join up with their respective national teams ahead of the international break. Following on from this, they will next face Everton in the Merseyside Derby on April 2 at Anfield as they look to move closer to clinching the Premier League crown.
After the visit of the Toffees, an away trip to face Fulham will follow, before a home clash against West Ham United, followed by a trip to face Leicester City on the road. Slot’s team currently boasts a 12-point lead at the top flight summit after 29 games played, with the Merseysiders now overwhelming favorites for the title.
