Newcastle now have a secret weapon over Manchester United in the Carabao Cup final after Martin Dubravka was recalled.
What’s the story?
Well, the Magpies reached their first cup final since 1999 after defeating Southampton 3-1 on aggregate in the Carabao Cup semi-finals on Tuesday.
Manchester United then booked their place at Wembley with a 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest on Wednesday evening, having won the first leg by a 3-0 scoreline.
It has set up a mouthwatering spectacle between two of England’s biggest clubs, although Eddie Howe has a secret weapon up his sleeve in Dubravka.
Now, you may be wondering how a backup goalkeeper is going to be of any use to Newcastle at Wembley.
Well, Howe decided to recall the Slovakia international from his season-long loan spell at Manchester United when the January transfer window began.
The 34-year-old is not actually allowed to play for Newcastle at Wembley after making two Carabao Cup appearances for the Red Devils before returning to Tyneside.
However, Dubravka spent almost six months learning from Erik ten Hag and becoming aware of the Dutchman’s preferred tactics, which he can now relay to Howe as the Magpies aim to win their first trophy since 1955.
Newcastle can beat Manchester United
With or without Dubravka’s inside knowledge, Newcastle have the tools to beat Manchester United.
The Magpies are absolutely flying right now, and have already shown that they have no issues dealing with the Premier League’s big hitters.
Newcastle have recorded draws against Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United this season, while also defeating Chelsea and Tottenham as they prove their presence in the top four is no fluke.
That should give the Magpies an immense amount of confidence going into the Carabao Cup final, and there is absolutely no reason why they cannot get their hands on the trophy.
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