Hendrick: “Salah has never lost to Newcastle” ahead of League Cup final | OneFootball

Liverpool v Newcastle: A League Cup Final with History on the Line

Cup Clashes Through the Decades

Liverpool and Newcastle United have a long history, but their encounters in cup competitions have been relatively rare. As Dave Hendrick pointed out in The Daily Red podcast for Anfield Index, “We’ve only played them twice ever in the League Cup,” with one win apiece.

Their first League Cup meeting came in November 1995, when Newcastle secured a 1-0 victory at Anfield thanks to a Steve Watson goal. Liverpool would have their revenge in January 1998, winning 2-0 after extra time with goals from Michael Owen and Robbie Fowler. That remains their last clash in this competition—until now.

While Liverpool have dominated the Premier League head-to-head in recent years, Hendrick made a striking point about their cup encounters: “In the FA Cup, we haven’t played them in 21 years.” The Reds’ last FA Cup meeting with Newcastle was in 2004, a game they won 2-1 with Bruno Cheyrou scoring both goals.

Salah v Isak: The Key Battle

Liverpool go into this final with the psychological advantage of a dominant record against Newcastle. “Mo against Newcastle—17 games, 10 goals, 8 assists, 13 wins, 4 draws,” Hendrick noted. “He’s never lost to Newcastle.” The Egyptian talisman has been particularly lethal in recent meetings, with four goals and four assists in his last four games against the Magpies.

For Newcastle, Alexander Isak is the main threat. As Hendrick highlighted, “He’s played five games against Liverpool—one draw, four defeats, three goals, one assist.” While his overall record against the Reds is mixed, Isak has the rare quality of unsettling Liverpool’s defensive pairing: “He’s one of the few centre-forwards that does at times make both Virgil and Ibu look a little bit uncomfortable.”

With both players pivotal to their teams, this battle could define the final.

Liverpool’s Cup Pedigree v Newcastle’s Long Wait

There is no debate over which club has the greater history in this competition. Liverpool are the most successful team in League Cup history, with ten wins and 14 final appearances. Newcastle, in contrast, have reached just two finals—losing in 1976 and 2023.

Hendrick laid out Newcastle’s broader lack of silverware: “The last thing they won was the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1969… before that, it was the FA Cup in 1955.” Their 70-year wait for a domestic trophy is in stark contrast to Liverpool’s decorated past: “We’ve won two cups in 21/22, we won the league two years before that, the Champions League the year before that.”

This makes Sunday’s final a battle of different motivations. For Liverpool, the League Cup is another step towards a potential historic season. “This cup will be a distant second in terms of the things we win this season,” Hendrick stated, highlighting that the club remains focused on securing the Premier League title.

For Newcastle, however, it represents an opportunity to finally end their long drought. “It’s a great fanbase, and they do deserve some success,” Hendrick acknowledged. “They came close in the 90s—back-to-back league runners-up, back-to-back FA Cup final runners-up—but they just couldn’t get over the hump.”

Photo: IMAGO

Liverpool’s Final History: Expect Extra Time?

If history is anything to go by, this final might not be settled in 90 minutes. “If you’re keeping score,” Hendrick explained, “eight of our ten League Cup wins have required extra time, penalties, or a replay.” From the dramatic 1981 and 1982 finals to the unforgettable 2022 victory over Chelsea, Liverpool rarely make it easy.

Even their most recent triumph in 2024 followed the script, with Virgil van Dijk scoring in the 118th minute to seal a 1-0 win over Chelsea. “Maybe bet on extra time or penalties in this one,” Hendrick joked, knowing Liverpool’s habit of stretching out these finals.

With their track record in this competition and Newcastle’s desperation to lift a trophy, Sunday’s final promises to be another dramatic chapter in Liverpool’s League Cup legacy.