Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe praised his team’s “magnificent” performance as they ended 56 years of trophy drought with a 2-1 win over Liverpool in the League Cup final on Sunday.
Goals from Dan Burn and Alexander Isak sealed the victory for Newcastle, who claimed their first major trophy since the 1969 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and their first significant domestic prize since lifting the FA Cup 70 years ago.
Howe, who became the first English manager to win a major domestic trophy in England since Harry Redknapp in 2008, was overwhelmed with emotion after the game.
“I’ve been emotional all day, which is very unlike me around game day,” he said. “But we just knew what was at stake today for all the people here, all the people back in Newcastle, and we just wanted to do them proud.”
Newcastle’s victory was a testament to Howe’s astute game-plan, which exploited Liverpool’s aerial weaknesses and launched incisive counter-attacks.
“I’m so pleased not just with the result, but with the performance,” Howe said. “I thought we deserved the win today. We worked consistently for two weeks on set plays just for this game, and it paid off.”
Burn’s goal, which came from a set piece, was a highlight of the game, and Howe joked that the defender “didn’t train like that!”
The win marks a significant milestone for Newcastle, who had not beaten Liverpool in all competitions since 2015.
