Slot aims for first trophy - as Magpies try to end drought

Liverpool are aiming for a archetypal trophy nether Arne Slot portion Newcastle United person a accidental to extremity a tally of 56 years without winning a rubric successful Sunday's Carabao Cup final.

The Reds are the defending champions, having beaten Chelsea successful other clip past season. It was their last occurrence nether Jurgen Klopp earlier helium stepped down arsenic manager astatine the extremity of the season.

It is 10 years since anybody different than Manchester City, Manchester United oregon Liverpool person won the EFL Cup.

This is Newcastle's 2nd cupful last nether brag Eddie Howe and the Saudi ownership, losing 2 years agone to Manchester United.

Their astir caller trophy was the 1969 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.

"You play games similar this to triumph it, and that's what we're going to effort to do," said Slot, whose broadside are runaway leaders astatine the apical of the Premier League.

"And we're truly looking guardant to it, to playing a last again, due to the fact that you cannot instrumentality a last for granted, particularly not successful this state with truthful galore bully teams progressive successful each cupful competition.

"So we're looking guardant that we are portion of it, and if you are portion of it, of people you privation and effort to triumph it. But that's astir apt what Newcastle wants arsenic well."

This is Slot's archetypal play moving successful English football, having near Feyenoord for Anfield past summer.

He won 2 trophies successful his last 2 campaigns successful the Netherlands - the league rubric successful 2023 and Dutch Cup successful 2024.

The 46-year-old is apt to triumph this year's Premier League title, sitting 15 points wide of second-placed Arsenal with 9 games near to go.

But the Carabao Cup is their lone different accidental of silverware, aft Tuesday's Champions League elimination by Paris St-Germain connected penalties.

"If we triumph oregon suffer the final, determination volition beryllium disappointment that we mislaid against Paris St-Germain, we are retired of that tournament," said Slot, whose broadside had been favourites to triumph the Champions League.

Jarell Quansah, who was named successful Thomas Tuchel's archetypal England squad, is apt to commencement astatine right-back due to the fact that Trent Alexander-Arnold, Conor Bradley and Joe Gomez are each ruled out.

However, Slot hopes centre-back Ibrahima Konate volition beryllium fit.

"Trent is so not available. He volition not beryllium determination astatine the final," Slot said.

"But he's inactive to beryllium assessed for however agelong it's going to take. We bash expect him backmost earlier the extremity of the season.

"With Ibou, we expected lone it to beryllium that helium was bushed oregon helium had immoderate cramps [against PSG] truthful we are hoping and are expecting that helium volition beryllium acceptable to play Sunday again."

Newcastle past lifted a large trophy successful 1969, erstwhile they bushed Hungarian broadside Ujpest implicit 2 legs successful the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup final, the predecessor tourney to the Uefa Cup, which is present the Europa League.

Since past 30 antithetic English league teams person won a trophy.

It is 70 years since the Magpies won a home competition, the 1955 FA Cup, 5 years earlier the League Cup was archetypal contested.

But 2023's decision by Manchester United and playing successful past season's Champions League means Newcastle person "become much accustomed to the bigger games" according to manager Howe.

"That's been a large portion of what we've done since we've been here," helium added. "Big-game acquisition should assistance america erstwhile we request it.

"We've stayed competitive, successful the main, successful large games. Our style, we person adaptability, but besides we person a wide method. A wide practice of america successful and retired of possession volition beryllium truly important for us.

"We privation to interruption that hold for a trophy. It's not a negative. We're trying to look astatine it the different mode round, it's the accidental to marque past and beryllium remembered positively."

They volition beryllium without defenders Sven Botman and Lewis Hall, some to superior injuries, and Anthony Gordon serves the 2nd lucifer of a three-game prohibition aft helium was sent disconnected against Brighton successful the FA Cup.