LONDON: Liverpool can win the first trophy of the Arne Slot era in Sunday’s League Cup final against a Newcastle side desperate to end the club’s 56-year wait for major silverware.
In the first final of the English domestic season, runaway Premier League leaders Liverpool head to Wembley aiming to erase the bitter taste of their Champions League exit against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday.
The Reds were beaten 4-1 on penalties by PSG in the last 16 second leg at Anfield.
It was a rare blow in what has been a successful first season in charge for Slot, who arrived from Feyenoord to succeed Jurgen Klopp last year.
Sitting 15 points clear at the top of the Premier League, the Reds are within touching distance of a record-equalling 20th English title and their first since 2020.
That will be the culmination of Slot’s seamless transition to life with Liverpool.
But first the Dutchman has his sights set on putting yet another League Cup in the Anfield trophy cabinet.
Liverpool, who beat Chelsea in last season’s final, have won the League Cup a record 10 times and are looking to lift the trophy for a third time in four years.
“You play games like this to win it, and that’s what we’re going to try to do,” said Slot, who will be without injured right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold.
“We’re really looking forward to it because you cannot take a final for granted, especially not in this country with so many good teams.”
Slot, who will be making his first ever visit to Wembley, hopes Liverpool can recover quickly from having their treble bid shattered by PSG.
“It’s a great occasion to be in and especially after losing against Paris Saint-Germain. It’s maybe the perfect game,” he said.
Aside from a brief period when Kevin Keegan’s team challenged for the title in the 1990s, Newcastle have endured decades of underachievement and self-inflicted wounds that rendered them a laughing stock for long periods.
All that changed in 2021 when a Saudi-backed consortium completed a takeover from unpopular owner Mike Ashley and quickly made the decision to hire Eddie Howe as their manager.
Newcastle have been transformed from relegation candidates to contenders for silverware, with a Champions League appearance in 2023-24 underlining their revival.
However, Newcastle are still waiting to win their first major trophy since the 1969 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup — the predecessor to the Europa League.
The Magpies’ last significant domestic prize was the 1955 FA Cup and they have lost a combined five finals in that competition and the League Cup since then.
They have never won the League Cup, most recently losing the 2023 final against Manchester United.
Since the Magpies lifted the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, 30 different English teams have won silverware, while Liverpool have clinched 38 major trophies in that time, including an FA Cup final success against Newcastle in the clubs’ last showpiece meeting in 1974.
With the weight of history against them, Howe has urged his players to embrace the chance to become Newcastle legends by ending their trophy drought.
“We want to break that wait for a trophy. It’s not a negative, he said.
“We’re trying to look at it the other way round, it’s the chance to make history and be remembered positively.”
Liverpool eased to a 2-0 win in their most recent Premier League clash with Newcastle in February.
And the Magpies’ task is made even harder by the absence of suspended England forward Anthony Gordon and injured defenders Lewis Hall, Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles.
But Howe is confident Newcastle will not freeze in front of a sell-out crowd and a television audience of millions around the world.
“We’ve stayed competitive, in the main, in big games,” he said. “Our style, we have adaptability, but also we have a clear method.”
Slot eyes first Liverpool trophy against Newcastle in League Cup final
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Slot eyes first Liverpool trophy against Newcastle in League Cup final
- “You play games like this to win it, and that’s what we’re going to try to do,” said Slot
- “We’re really looking forward to it because you cannot take a final for granted, especially not in this country with so many good teams“
Powerboat pilots primed for E1 Jeddah GP 2026
- Team Monaco and Sierra Racing Club joined the championship for the first time, adding further depth to the grid
- Event is organized by the Saudi Water Sports and Diving Federation in collaboration with the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM)
JEDDAH: Pilots of the teams participating in the opening round of the third season of the E1 Series, the world’s first all-electric raceboat championship on the Red Sea in Jeddah from January 23 – 24, have expressed their readiness for the event.
The Jeddah GP 2026 will feature a record of 10 teams racing the cutting-edge E1 RaceBirds, underlining the rapid growth of the championship and its ambitions as a global competition spanning four continents.
Team Monaco and Sierra Racing Club joined the championship for the first time, adding further depth to the grid with a mix of experienced and emerging pilots.
The event is organized by the Saudi Water Sports and Diving Federation in collaboration with the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM), under the supervision of the Ministry of Sport and is presented by the Public Investment Fund (PIF).
Ahead of the event, a press conference was held on Wednesday at the media center, appearing at the event was John Williams, Managing Director at E1 who shared the excitement and vision for the opening season for the UIM E1 World Championship and expressed his enthusiasm for the Jeddah round.
He told the media that E1 World Championship 2026 is looking ahead for another thrilling and exciting season, “We are delighted to restart racing here on the beautiful Red Sea in Jeddah as the E1 Jeddah GP once again brings together electric racing, elite teams and world-class pilots as the championship enters a new season.”
“We always love to come back to this beautiful city of Jeddah and hope we can bring excitement to our fans here in this part of the world and we are very excited for a great race.
He added that the vision for E1 has always been to inspire change through competition.
“With every season, E1 is not only growing as a sport but showing what’s possible when sport drives sustainability forward,” he said.
Williams also announced that the E1 race in partnership with Saudi Arabia introducing new initiatives as part of its social program, he said: “During this weekend we aim to inspire Saudi students aged 8 to 18 to explore science, technology, engineering and mathematics, as well as sustainability, through the lens of electric racing.”
Also attended, Rusty Wyatt of AlUla team, Tom Chiappe of team Rafael Nadal, Maxime Nocher of team Monaco, and Ieva Millere of team Drogba.
French professional pilot for Team Rafa, Tom Chiappe indicated that the team is gearing up for a new exciting season, “First of all, glad to come back to Jeddah and looking forward to competing and winning first place after we finished last season in second. I am really glad to start the season here in Jeddah and hope the E1 fans in Jeddah enjoy the race,” he said.
Canadian racer, Rusty Wyatt of team AlUla expressed his excitement to show what the team can achieve in front of so much local support and to make AlUla proud.
“It really feels like a home GP in Jeddah.
Following last year’s E1 Grand Prix in Jeddah, Wyatt was fortunate enough to spend a week in AlUla which he said was truly unforgettable.
Speaking about this season, He continued: “We have gone through a lot of work to get better and this year we have taking all the data and all that knowledge to become much better team. Our confidence level is really high and we are going to give it all best of us to gain pole position.”
As she is gearing up for the E1 series race in Jeddah, this year Ieva Millere piloting the innovative RaceBird for Drogba team after representing the Brazil team last year.
“I am so excited to be here in Jeddah for the third year in a row but this time I am with the Drogba team. We are really hoping to bring success for the team.”
Meanwhile, the pilot of team Monaco, French Maxime Nocher confirmed 2026 would serve as a learning season.
“It is the debut season for team Monaco and the goal is to gain experience and build something solid for the next season in 2027. However, we are ready to make an impact for our season,” he said.
