While it was Manchester United who ended their wait of nearly six years to win a major trophy, both they and losers Newcastle United came out of the EFL Cup final with the mantra: “This is just the start.”
For Man Utd, it is what they hope is the first step down a trophy-laden path under Erik ten Hag.
Promisingly for United, seven of the last nine teams to win the EFL Cup have also gone on to win another trophy in the same season.
Ten Hag’s side are still fighting on three fronts, with the Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Europa League all in their sights.
United sit third in the Premier League, eight points behind leaders Arsenal.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Man City
MCI
|
38 | +61 | 89 |
| 2 |
Arsenal
ARS
|
38 | +45 | 84 |
| 3 |
Man Utd
MUN
|
38 | +15 | 75 |
They are back in action in the FA Cup on Wednesday, hosting West Ham United in the fifth round.
In the Europa League, United face Real Betis in the last 16.
Ten Hag hungry for more
Speaking after the match, Ten Hag made it clear that the EFL Cup triumph has to be a catalyst for another period of prolonged success for the club, like the one they enjoyed under Sir Alex Ferguson.
“First, we have to win the first one [trophy] and that is what we did today,” Ten Hag said. “I think we get a lot of inspiration from this and also more confidence that we can do it. We are still at the start to restore Manchester United back to where we belong, that is winning trophies. This is the first one."
There have been contrasting fortunes for previous Man Utd managers whose first piece of silverware was a domestic cup.
Ferguson, who was invited back into the Man Utd dressing room to share his experience with the players, lifted the FA Cup in 1990 before going on to enjoy an incredible career at Old Trafford, winning a staggering 38 trophies.
We can't get enough of this footage 🥰#MUFC || #CarabaoCup
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) February 27, 2023
By contrast, while Jose Mourinho also secured an EFL Cup success in 2017 and added the Europa League later that season, his reign turned sour and came to an end in December 2018.
Experienced stars instrumental
The winning mentality of Casemiro, Raphael Varane and David De Gea proved crucial at Wembley Stadium on Sunday as Man Utd steadied the ship following Newcastle's bright start.
Playing his first domestic match since 4 February after serving a three-match ban, Casemiro headed in the opening goal and provided authority in central midfield.
Remarkably, the Brazilian has now been victorious in each of his last nine major finals, winning four UEFA Champions Leagues, three FIFA Club World Cups, one Copa del Rey and one EFL Cup.
🌟 @Casemiro is the definition of a big game player.#MUFC || #CarabaoCup
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) February 27, 2023
Varane and De Gea also provided the on-pitch leadership that is so important in high-pressure matches.
“Rapha Varane, Casemiro, David De Gea, they know how to win trophies,” explained Ten Hag. “You need such lads on the pitch to point the team, coach the team, organise the team, not only from a tactical perspective but also especially the mental perspective. It's so important, the winning attitude.
“They have to bring it in the dressing room and bring it to the team. In difficult situations, they have to handle it and that's what they did again."
Newcastle need to fix goalscoring woes
As for Newcastle, they succumbed to a third straight 2-0 defeat in Wembley finals.
But the mood among fans is that under Eddie Howe and with their new owners, they won’t have to wait another 24 years to reach another domestic cup final, having previously appeared at Wembley in the 1999 FA Cup final.
Addressing his side’s lack of goals will be at the forefront of Howe’s mind. In their last 12 matches across all competitions, Newcastle have only scored nine goals.
“The team is playing well but we're not as free-scoring right now,” said Howe. “That's a challenge. We didn't get the big moments right. It's a similar feeling to what I've had in recent weeks."
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The Magpies' attention now turns to the top-four race in the Premier League, where they sit four points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur with two matches in hand.
Next up for Howe's team is a trip to Manchester City on Saturday. Newcastle will have to reverse recent history, after failing to score in each of their last three trips to the Etihad Stadium.