London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 18, 2026

Man Utd win EFL Cup to end six-year trophy wait

Man Utd win EFL Cup to end six-year trophy wait

Manchester United claimed their first trophy since 2017 with victory over Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley.

Newcastle's own wait for silverware, stretching back to 1969, goes on after two goals inside six minutes in the first half established Manchester United's superiority and set them on their way to a first success under manager Erik ten Hag.

Casemiro broke the deadlock after 33 minutes when he headed home Luke Shaw's free-kick.

His side doubled their advantage after Sven Botman deflected Marcus Rashford's shot out of the reach of Newcastle's debutant keeper Loris Karius, deputising for the suspended Nick Pope.

Newcastle attempted to rally in the second half, but the goals have dried up at the wrong time for Eddie Howe's men.

It meant Manchester United were back in the honours after last tasting success six years ago when lifting the Europa League under Jose Mourinho, and also winning this competition in the same campaign.


Casemiro outstanding as United are transformed


United's renaissance under Ten Hag now has tangible reward in the shape of a trophy, with the power to add more this season.

The Dutchman's strong leadership and tactical acumen has transformed them since that nightmare opening to the season when they lost at home to Brighton and shipped four first-half goals in a humiliating loss at Brentford.

The arrival of the outstanding Casemiro, the superb development of the combative Lisandro Martinez and Rashford's rejuvenation have helped to make the Old Trafford outfit a serious proposition again.

They were not at their best, but once they took control of this final they did not let Newcastle back in - and this was very much a case of mission accomplished.

At the heart of it all was Casemiro, a genuinely transformative acquisition. The Brazilian not only made the crucial contribution with the opening goal, but stamped his years of trophy-winning experience with Real Madrid all over this showpiece with his expert positioning and authority.

It will also increase the growing belief that Ten Hag is the manager who will move Manchester United forward and out of the wilderness that had engulfed them before his arrival at the start of the season.


No blame on Karius - but Newcastle lack end product


Newcastle's vast Toon Army warmly applauded them at the final whistle, but this will be a bitter disappointment after they travelled south in their hordes with hopes and expectations so high.

There was certainly no lack of effort, but there is a desperate absence of end product to a side whose momentum in the Premier League has slowed - and that agonising wait to celebrate a trophy continues.

It showed here as Newcastle got into threatening positions several times in the second half, but never took advantage in a manner that might have exerted a measure of pressure on Manchester United.

All eyes were on German keeper Karius, drafted in for Pope - suspended after being sent off against Liverpool - and still best remembered for a calamitous performance for Jurgen Klopp's team in their 2018 Champions League final loss to Real Madrid.

Newcastle would have preferred the greater certainty of Pope, but no blame can be attached to Karius here - and he actually made good saves from Wout Weghorst, Rashford and, just before the end, Bruno Fernandes.

There is no doubt, though, that despite this loss, Newcastle are heading in the right direction under Howe.

They would have gladly taken a major final at the start of the season, but Wembley once again brought only heartache for the Geordies.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
For 36 Years, He Scammed About 300 Luxury Hotels — Until He Was Caught
England's World Cup Exit Expected to Cost Hospitality and Retail £334 Million
Former ICC Prosecutor Aide Speaks Publicly About Allegations Against Karim Khan
Opposition Raises Questions Over June Heatwave Power Grid Pressures
Mastercard Explores Sale of Majority Stake in UK Payments Operator Vocalink
Boeing Forecasts Global Commercial Aircraft Fleet Will Double by 2045
London GP Surgeries Receive £18 Million to Expand Primary Care Capacity
Health Advisers Recommend Nationwide Meningitis B Vaccination for Teenagers
OECD Warns UK Economy Faces Slower Growth and Weak Productivity
Treasury Places Major Global Cloud Providers Under Direct Financial Oversight
Financial Markets Rally as Shabana Mahmood Emerges as Leading Treasury Candidate
Incoming Government Prepares Thames Water Nationalisation and New North Sea Drilling Approvals
UK Government Plans Deep Cuts to Bilateral Aid for African Nations
United States and Iran Exchange Direct Strikes for Seventh Consecutive Night
Incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham Confirmed as Labour Leader Ahead of Downing Street Handover
Britain Nationalises British Steel to Protect Scunthorpe Production and Strategic Supply
Andy Burnham Takes Labour Leadership and Prepares to Become Britain’s Seventh Prime Minister in a Decade
Tech Companies Want to Move Computing Off Your Screen and Onto Your Body
White House Teleprompter Operator Earned More Than $100,000 From Bets Linked to the President's Speeches
French Prime Minister Survives No-Confidence Vote After Controversial Budget Cuts
European Commission Opens Excessive Deficit Procedure Against France
French Senate Blocks Key Immigration Reform Measures
French Government Pushes EU Action Against Ultra-Fast Fashion Imports
French Parliament Debates Expanded Autonomy Powers for Corsica
France Reopens Autonomy Talks With New Caledonia After Months of Unrest
Bordeaux Wine Producers Seek Three Hundred Million Euro Aid Package After Export Collapse
French Farmers Block Spain Border Crossings Over Imported Food Competition
Cannes Film Festival Bans Fully Artificial Intelligence-Generated Films From Competition
TotalEnergies Shifts More Than Three Billion Euros of Green Investment From Europe to the United States
LVMH Chief Executive Bernard Arnault Presents Succession Plan for Luxury Empire
Kering Reports Fifteen Percent Revenue Drop as Chinese Luxury Demand Weakens
Sanofi Reports Positive Results From Messenger RNA Respiratory Vaccine Trials
France Places Energy Price Caps Under Review to Protect Households Through Winter
EDF Connects Two New Nuclear Reactors to France’s Electricity Grid
Mistral Secures European Commission Contract for Sovereign Artificial Intelligence Models
Renault Opens Next-Generation Electric Battery Plant in Northern France
Air France Signs Two Billion Euro Sustainable Aviation Fuel Deal to Cut Emissions
Marseille Launches Three Billion Euro Port Expansion to Strengthen Mediterranean Trade Role
French-Owned Ubisoft Announces Global Restructuring With Nearly One Thousand Job Cuts
National Railway Operator Suspends Artificial Intelligence Ticket Pricing System After Consumer Backlash
United Kingdom to Ban Sales of High-Caffeine Energy Drinks to Under-Sixteens
Home Office Designates Iranian and Russian Paramilitary Groups as National Security Threats
National Health Service Launches Housing Plan to Retain London Healthcare Workers
British Heatwave Fuels Wildfires and Emergency Evacuations in Scotland
United Kingdom and Estonia Sign Defence Agreement to Strengthen NATO’s Eastern Flank
United Kingdom Cuts Bilateral Aid to African Nations by More Than Eighty Percent
Bank of England Overhauls Banking Rules to Encourage More Lending to Businesses
United Kingdom and India Free Trade Agreement Enters Into Force, Reshaping Bilateral Economic Ties
Andy Burnham Confirmed as New Labour Leader and Prime Minister-Designate
UK Government Faces Pressure Over Extreme Heat Workplace Rules
×