Newcastle United were given a worrying preview of how the Carabao Cup final could play out after they were soundly beaten by Liverpool on Wednesday.
Liverpool dominated the match from the opening seconds and after they took the lead in the 11th minute, with Dominik Szoboszlai helped by some poor Nick Pope goalkeeping, they never really looked like surrendering it.
Newcastle United did well not to be blown away by the imperious Premier League leaders and remained competitive but they didn’t threaten to mount a comeback.
The Reds saw the game out like Floyd Mayweather managed fights towards the end of his career, allowing his opponent to last the distance but never to land a glove upon him.
Alexis Mac Allister bagged the second just after the hour mark as Liverpool cruised to victory and it was an ominous pre-cursor for next month’s Carabao Cup final.
Newcastle have gone 70 years without a trophy and are desperate to bring those decades of hurt to an end at Wembley.
Mac Allister has given Newcastle fans a glimmer of hope by admitting Liverpool are tired, while there’s another big reason for them to remain optimistic. Alexander Isak.
Newcastle will have a better starting XI for the Carabao Cup final
One thing that might just be stopping Newcastle nerves from being completely shredded a fortnight out from the Carabao Cup final is that they know it should be a different starting XI at Wembley.
All-action midfielder Joelinton is nearing a return from injury for starters and could make his comeback against Brighton on Sunday. The Brazilian is just what was missing on Wednesday to combat Liverpool’s elegant midfield.
But the biggest difference will be – keep everything crossed – the return of Isak.
The Swede missed the match due to a groin issue and in his place came Callum Wilson, for his first Premier League start of the season.
Wilson was a willing runner, worked hard and was the only player who even looked like scoring, but Newcastle were not the same team with him leading the line.
Unlike Isak, Wilson was unable to outmuscle Liverpool’s gigantic centre-backs, pick the ball up from deep and drive it forward or link-up much with the wingers. The whole attack was left a blunt instrument without its razor sharp spearhead.
So not only did Newcastle not create as many chances as they usually do without Isak building the play and making things happen, but they didn’t have someone capable of taking a gilt-edged chance when one was created.
Wilson went through on goal twice but missed the mark by a wide margin each time and the offside flag only spared his blushes for one of them.
In contrast, Isak had the better of Virgil van Dijk time and again in his sensational performance against Liverpool in December’s 3-3 draw. In that match, Newcastle proved they are more than capable of going toe to toe with Liverpool but Wednesday’s suggested they need Isak in the team to do it.
Howe has Alexander Isak dilemma to consider ahead of Carabao Cup final
Thankfully, Isak is not actually injured and instead didn’t play as a precaution.
Eddie Howe opted to leave Isak out of the matchday squad after the striker admitted he wasn’t feeling 100%. He wanted to play and could have done, but the manager did not want to take the risk of the niggle growing into something far worse.
“Around lunchtime I sat down and had a long conversation with him,” Howe told the club’s official website after the match.
“Of course, he wanted to play. But he was feeling his groin and did not feel 100% fit, so we made the decision not to play him.
“I think it was the right call. He’s too important to lose for any length of time by trying to force him to play. Disappointing to lose him because he’s such a standout player for us.”
It was the right decision.
The upcoming final is the biggest game of the season, with so much on the line for fans, and Isak will be crucial to winning it. He must be kept fit.
Which leaves Howe with the dilemma of whether he should continue to leave Isak out until March 16.
Sunday’s game is an FA Cup tie against Brighton and Isak likely won’t be risked for it but, with so many top teams already knocked out, Newcastle have a strong chance to win that trophy as well.
The Magpies struggled to beat League One’s Birmingham with a weakened team in the last round and Brighton, who have already won at St. James’ Park this season, are much tougher opposition. If the team is too second string, they could be knocked out.
After that, Newcastle have another trip to London to face West Ham six days before the final. Given they are still in the running to qualify for the Champions League, not playing Isak in that game could also backfire if they lose.
Additionally, Isak will probably want at least some minutes under his belt ahead of the final to keep fitness up and abilities sharp. But if he got injured, Howe could come in for a lot of criticism.
It’s a catch-22 but Newcastle must do all they can to keep Isak fit and available for Wembley, even if that means not playing him again until then.
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