Liverpool have the chance to secure their first silverware under Arne Slot in Sunday's League Cup final against a Newcastle side eager to end a 56-year trophy drought.
The Reds, who top the Premier League by 15 points, will look to bounce back from their Champions League exit at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain. A 4-1 defeat on penalties at Anfield ended their treble hopes, but Slot sees the final as an opportunity to respond.
"It's a great occasion to be in and especially after losing against Paris Saint-Germain. It's maybe the perfect game," he said.
Liverpool, the League Cup’s most successful club with 10 titles, are aiming to win the competition for the third time in four years. They defeated Chelsea in last season’s final and now seek to add another trophy to their collection.
"You play games like this to win it, and that's what we're going to try to do," Slot added, though he will be without right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold due to injury.
This will be Slot’s first visit to Wembley, where he hopes to guide Liverpool to yet another triumph.
Newcastle’s 'Chance to Make History'
For Newcastle, the final represents a rare opportunity to claim long-awaited silverware. Despite past title challenges, particularly under Kevin Keegan in the 1990s, the Magpies have not won a major trophy since the 1969 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. Their last domestic success came in the 1955 FA Cup, and they have lost five finals in the League Cup and FA Cup since then, including the 2023 League Cup final against Manchester United.
Newcastle’s revival under Eddie Howe, following the club’s Saudi-backed takeover in 2021, has turned them from relegation battlers into genuine contenders. However, they face a tough challenge at Wembley, especially with key players missing—Anthony Gordon is suspended, while Lewis Hall, Sven Botman, and Jamaal Lascelles are injured.
Howe, though, is urging his team to embrace the moment.
"We want to break that wait for a trophy. It's not a negative," he said. "We're trying to look at it the other way round, it's the chance to make history and be remembered positively."
Despite their struggles, Newcastle have remained competitive in big matches, and Howe is confident they will rise to the occasion.
"We've stayed competitive, in the main, in big games," he noted. "Our style, we have adaptability, but also we have a clear method."
Liverpool won their last Premier League meeting with Newcastle 2-0 in February, but with a trophy on the line at Wembley, both sides will be desperate to seize their moment.