by Following two lopsided semifinals, the date has been set and the finalists are ready.
On March 16th, Liverpool will face off against Newcastle United at Wembley in the EFL Cup final, the first piece of silverware available in the 2024/25 season.
And there is one clear favorite for the clash… Liverpool.
Biggest EFL Cup Final Upsets
The Reds have been running rampant all year long throughout their maiden campaign under new manager Arne Slot.
They currently sit six points clear in the Premier League with a game in hand on their nearest rivals, while they topped the initial phase of the UEFA Champions League as well.
They punched their ticket to a third EFL Cup final in four seasons by overturning a 1-0 first-leg deficit to thump Spurs 4-1 on aggregate, and now they are the favorites to get the job done under the arch.
Newcastle swept aside Arsenal in their semifinal, winning 2-0 both home and away to secure a 4-0 aggregate win.
Despite that, they will head to the capital as huge underdogs. Luckily for them, outsiders have managed to upset the odds before, and here are three teams that the Magpies should be looking at for inspiration ahead of next month’s contest.
Birmingham City 2-1 Arsenal
The 2011 showpiece featured two sides with vastly contrasting fortunes. Birmingham City were battling relegation, while their opponents Arsenal had a young side that looked set to come of age.
Admittedly, The Gunners hadn’t claimed silverware since the 2005 FA Cup final, but the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Jack Wilshere, and Samir Nasri were starting to shine, and the Wembley showdown was supposed to usher in a new era.
Unfortunately for them, the Blues had other ideas. They took a shock lead after just 28 minutes through giant Serbian striker Nikola Žigić, whose towering header capitalized on confusion in Arsenal’s defense.
The North London outfit responded barely ten minutes later when Robin van Persie scored a stunning equalizer from Wilshere’s cross.
However, as the second half dragged on, The Gunners couldn’t find the go-ahead goal, and their lowly opponents began to grow in confidence.
The defining moment came at the death. A mix-up between Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny and defender Laurent Koscielny gifted Obafemi Martins the easiest goal of his career.
His last-gasp tap-in sealed Birmingham’s first major trophy in almost half a century and while they would ultimately be dramatically relegated from the Premier League at the end of the season, they at least had Europa League football to look forward to.
For the Gunners, it was a crushing defeat that they would be ridiculed for in years to come, with their growing struggles to win silverware amplified tenfold.
Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Chelsea
Most of the football news coming out of London tends to revolve around the North London derby.
A recent article from Bodog News listed the clash between Spurs and Arsenal as one of the biggest rivalries in world football, and rightfully so.
However, in the 2008 final, it wasn’t the Gunners that Tottenham would face, but a fellow capital city outfit that equally detests them in the form of Chelsea.
At the time, The Blues had become perhaps the dominant force in English football.
With the likes of Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, and John Terry all on the song, Chelsea claimed back-to-back Premier League titles in 2005 and 2006 under Jose Mourhino, while they were also a staple in the latter stages of the Champions League.
However, the Special One’s departure early in the 2007/08 season saw their aura of invisibility shattered, while the appointment of the unknown Avram Grant did little to restore confidence.
Across London, Spurs were quietly building a decent squad. They were led by talismanic striker Dimitar Berbatov, who found the back of the net with regular aplomb.
Supported by Robbie Keane, there were hopes that Juande Ramos’ side could spring the upset at Wembley, but they were still huge underdogs on matchday, especially because they hadn’t picked up a piece of silverware since the turn of the millennium.
It looked as though the bookies’ predictions would be accurate when Chelsea took a first-half lead thanks to a sublime Drogba free kick.
But Spurs wouldn’t roll over and accept defeat and they came out for the second half firing. They pushed for an equalizer and their persistence was rewarded in the 70th minute when they were awarded a penalty for Wayne Bridge’s handball.
Berbatov calmly slotted home, shifting the momentum firmly in Spurs’ favor.
Neither side could break the deadlock inside 90 minutes, taking the contest to extra time. And it was there that Spurs delivered the decisive blow.
A Rory Delap-style long throw-in caused havoc in Chelsea’s defense, and center-back Jonathan Woodgate rose highest to head the ball home from close range and seal the win.
The defeat was Chelsea’s first of three that season, losing out to Manchester United both in the UEFA Champions League final and in the Premier League title race.
For a team that had lived in their vanquished rivals’ shadow for much of the decade, Spurs’ win felt monumental. It marked their return to the winners’ circle and gave their fans bragging rights over a dominant rival.
However, their critics have begun to circle and they remain without a trophy in the 17 years since, one of the longest barren spells in the club’s history.
