Pre-match, Eddie Howe referenced that changes had been made after lessons the Magpies took from their final two years ago, and they seemed to be working as his side started brightly, even if Harvey Barnes couldn’t guide his attempt from Jacob Murphy’s cross on target.
Murphy and Sandro Tonali were also unable to work Caoimhín Kelleher with their attempts, while a Liverpool side coming into this final off the back of a draining defeat to Paris Saint-Germain struggled to create despite having their fair share of possession.
Newcastle continued to be the main aggressors but Kelleher rushed out to deny Bruno Guimaraes after Dan Burn had won the initial header from a corner.
Andrew Robertson made two vital blocks in quick succession to deny an Alexander Isak header and a Kieran Trippier strike, shortly before Kelleher held Guimaraes’ flicked header following Burn’s first contact from the ensuing corner.
Burn rose highest to meet a corner delivery yet again moments before the break, but this time, Newcastle’s local boy went for goal and guided his superb header inside the far post to inspire rapturous celebrations in the black and white side of Wembley Stadium.
Another corner caused chaos for Liverpool soon after the break, but Isak’s goal was ruled out due to Guimaraes being offside.
Undeterred, Newcastle’s talisman scored almost immediately after as Tino Livramento’s cross was nodded down by Murphy, allowing Isak to apply a clinical first-time finish.
Arne Slot responded with two alterations, one of which was Curtis Jones, who let off a venomous shot that Nick Pope tipped behind minutes later.
Kelleher then denied Isak’s improvised effort, Murphy placed his attempt marginally wide, and Tonali’s shot was saved as the unrelenting Magpies refused to let up, even with Slot making more attacking substitutions.
Eight minutes of added time being announced already had Newcastle fans worried, and any nerves were multiplied when Harvey Elliott slid in Federico Chiesa for the Italian to finish.
Despite that, and the fact the clock ticked past 100 minutes, the men in black and white hung on as Howe and his players wrote their name into Newcastle’s history books by ending the Magpies’ 70-year wait for a major domestic trophy, while also winning the club’s first-ever League Cup.
In contrast, Liverpool have lost back-to-back matches for the first time this campaign, with the terrible timing of that meaning the Reds miss out on adding to their 10 triumphs in this competition.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Dan Burn (Newcastle United)