Liverpool or Tottenham – Who would Newcastle United fans prefer to play at Wembley? | OneFootball

Liverpool or Tottenham, that is the question.

Due to the 4-0 aggregate demolition of Arsenal, Newcastle United fans are once again heading to Wembley.

Another League Cup final.

Wednesday night’s victory sees us return to Wembley, only 25 months after that final in February 2023.

United coming up short against Man U, a side containing both World Cup and Champions League winners, who were far less daunted by the fixture than Newcastle United were.

At Wembley this time, it is either Tottenham or Liverpool.

The question is, who would you rather face?

Liverpool are no strangers to winning the League cup, having won the trophy more than any other team, whilst also being the current holders. Flying high at the top of the table, they are currently the best team in the country, however, their priorities may lie elsewhere given their current league position. Although they have a stellar lead at the top of the table, a slight dip in form between now and mid-March could see their priorities shift to focus far more heavily toward the Premier League.

As well as commitments in the other competitions, the round of 16 in the Champions League will see Liverpool play the second leg of that at Anfield in the midweek before the League Cup final.

The extra demands of the Champions League could help to potentially weaken their squad, with lowered fitness and likely more injuries coming as a result of the high volume of games. Last season’s League Cup final saw Liverpool field a highly weakened side, due to having a high number of injuries, yet they still showed enough quality to finally win in extra-time against a poor Chelsea side.

With Arne Slot being new to the club, he will still be very eager to bring a major trophy to the club under his tenure as soon as possible, especially if their lead at the top of the table in the Premier League is perhaps slightly weakened. A loss at Wembley would also certainly weaken the morale and momentum of his squad as they enter the crucial stage of the season, so Liverpool are certain to be ready for a big game regardless of the circumstances they find themselves in by the time the final rolls around.

As for Tottenham, who currently hold a 1-0 lead in the tie between themselves and Liverpool going into tonight’s second leg, they are clearly the weaker opponent out of the two on paper. With Newcastle having beaten them already twice this season, Howe seems to have Postecoglou’s number in terms of tactics, which would certainly be a confidence boost for our side going into the game should Spurs be our opponent.

However, Tottenham find themselves in a very similar position to us in terms of their desperation to get their hands on a trophy. They have been bullied and mocked by their ‘Big 6’ rivals for years on end due to their lack of silverware, and their current cup run sees them closer to finally being able to silence their critics than they have been in recent years.

Postecoglou claimed at the start of this campaign that he usually begins to win trophies in his second season, a quote he was highly mocked for at the time, however he is currently still in with a major chance at keeping his managerial silverware trend going. A serial winner at previous clubs, although in weaker leagues and competitions, Postecoglou himself is no stranger to the big occasion. Given the criticism both the manager and the club have received over the years, Tottenham will certainly not go down without a fight given the importance of the occasion.

With Tottenham’s reputation as somewhat serial losers, defeat to them in the final would be a very bitter pill to swallow for Newcastle fans.

Defeat to Liverpool, sad as it would still be, would be far easier to stomach given the current strength of their side and their reputation as serial winners.

Both teams present different challenges, neither present an easy fixture on the big stage.

Not that we have any say in the matter, but it’s rather hard to decipher, as to which side we would rather face in what will be one of the most vital games in Newcastle United’s modern day history.