Newcastle head into Sunday’s Carabao Cup final as underdogs against a Liverpool team who had looked unflappable until their Champions League tie against Paris St Germain.
Here the PA news agency looks at some of the issues around the game.
Absences make Toon’s task tougher
The suspension of Anthony Gordon for a senseless sending-off is a real blow to Newcastle while the injury-enforced absences of Lewis Hall, Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles only make their task more difficult.
At virtually full strength they managed to snatch a draw at home in the league but the contest was not even close at Anfield. Already underdogs going into the game, the odds are stacked against them even more.
Isak versus Liverpool’s attack
Newcastle are far from a one-man team but there is a heavy reliance on striker Alexander Isak and they look relatively toothless – as they did in last month’s 2-0 defeat on Merseyside – without him.
The Sweden international has scored 19 of their 46 Premier League goals, or 41 percent. Mohamed Salah has 27 league goals on his own, but behind him he has Cody Gakpo, the team’s leading scorer in the competition over the last two seasons, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez.
Isak will likely have to take most of his chances and Liverpool few of theirs if the Magpies are to succeed.
So who does Slot pick up front?
In the toughest-looking matches this season, Slot has often gone for Diaz as a false nine but he has shown he is far more effective on the left.
The decision will probably be made easier as Gakpo is only just returning from injury and looked off the pace in the Champions League against Paris St Germain.
Diogo Jota is probably the preferred number nine despite not scoring since mid-January as Nunez, who missed a penalty in the shoot-out defeat by PSG, remains too inconsistent.
Where is Liverpool’s weakness?
Until Tuesday it was difficult to isolate one, but injury to Trent Alexander-Arnold means 21-year-old centre-back Jarell Quansah will likely have to fill in on the right. The bonus for him is there will be no Gordon running at him but his relative inexperience makes him a potential target.
Fatigue may also play a part as many of the players who started against PSG will be rolled out again, some of whom played 120 minutes and looked leggy in extra time.
Who will handle the occasion better?
Newcastle, famously, are still searching for their first major trophy in 70 years. But after back-to-back FA Cup finals in 1998 and 1999 their only appearance in a showpiece event since came two seasons ago with a League Cup defeat by Chelsea.
That is not nearly enough for a club of their size and the weight of expectation hangs heavy on the current squad.
Conversely, there is a very valid reason why Liverpool fans renamed Wembley ‘Anfield South’. Not only have they won the League Cup a record 10 times, this will be their fourth visit to London in as many seasons – and they have returned home with the trophy on the three previous occasions.
They have huge experience within their squad with multiple players who won both the Premier League and Champions League under Jurgen Klopp.
