Win at West Ham United a real boost for League Cup final, says Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe
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Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe during the 1-0 Premier League win over West Ham.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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LONDON – Newcastle United will go into the League Cup final against Liverpool in good heart, manager Eddie Howe said after his team beat West Ham United 1-0 to move to sixth in the English Premier League on March 10.
The Magpies have not won a major domestic trophy for 70 years but did not let the Cup showdown on March 16 distract them, as Bruno Guimaraes’ 63rd-minute goal kept them in the frame to qualify for the Champions League.
It was also a timely boost at the London Stadium for Newcastle, who had lost three of their previous four league games.
“One of our best wins of the season, not in terms of performance but desire and heart,” Howe said.
“We will focus fully on Liverpool now. We will take everything into consideration. I felt we were in need of a win to go into the final with a real boost and lift.
“It will do us the world of good. Also for our league table position today, (it) was vital.”
Howe hinted that the wait ahead of the final has more or less been a distraction for his players but that their display against the Hammers showed the ingredients needed to be a successful team.
Despite the absence of suspended forward Anthony Gordon and injured defenders Lewis Hall and Sven Botman, Newcastle gradually found their rhythm.
They got their reward when Harvey Barnes’ initial cross was blocked, but he kept his composure to clip the rebound into the West Ham area, where Guimaraes stretched to stab home from close range.
“That’s why, for me, it was such a good win, it would be easy for the players to be distracted but they were present,” he added. “These (Cup final) games, we learnt it can be quite a long wait, everyone talking about it but you have massive games ahead. Pleased it’s here, hopefully we can perform well.”
It is the second time in three seasons that Howe has taken Newcastle to the League Cup final. In 2023, they lost to Manchester United, extending their domestic trophy drought since winning the FA Cup in 1955.
The Magpies boss selected goalkeeper Nick Pope ahead of Martin Dubravka against West Ham, and said deciding who would start at Wembley was a tough decision.
“Difficult call, but it is not the only one,” he said. “The goalkeeper situation has not been clear, as both goalkeepers have been high-class. Tough calls to make.” REUTERS, AFP
