All eyes are now on the big one next weekend – the Carabao Cup Final against Liverpool. Newcastle United go into the Wembley showpiece as the underdogs given how well Arne Slot’s side have performed this season.
The Reds are well clear at the top of the Premier League and have been ruthless in the Champions League. Anthony Gordon’s suspension and injury to Sven Botman mean the odds are stacked against the Magpies.
However, one major boost in comparison to their previous Carabao Cup Final back in 2023 is the goalkeeping department. Nick Pope was suspended for the clash with Manchester United, while Martin Dubravka was cup-tied.
This time around, Howe has both keepers available for selection, but picking one for the cup final may well be the toughest call of his managerial career. Pope has struggled since returning from injury, while Dubravka was in fine form before being dropped from the starting XI.
Howe’s choice of language on Monday Night Football hinted that Dubravka could come back into the fold, labelling Pope as the league goalkeeper ahead of kick-off at West Ham. That prompted debate in the studio about selection for the final, with many Newcastle fans hoping to see Dubravka come back into the fold.
Pundits Jamie Carragher and former Southampton boss Russell Martin hit the nail on the head with their assessment heading into the final, with the latter picking out a key point regarding Newcastle’s style of play that could play a key part against Liverpool
“You go with your best team when you’re in a cup final, certainly when you’re in a position like Newcastle,” Carragher said on Monday Night Football. “Liverpool might do something different in terms of Kelleher but he’s certainly got to prove that he’s [Pope] in the best team tonight.
“A big strong performance from him will go some way in doing that, but this idea of cup keepers and league keepers, I think when you start to get to really pivotal moments of semi-finals and finals, you go with your best team.”
When asked if it was good that Newcastle had two top level goalkeepers competing, Martin said: “I think so. Martin Dubravka brings them a bit more control in the build-up and they can build up a bit cleaner than they can under Nick Pope.
“Obviously there’s big belief in Nick Pope as a goalkeeper. We ended up using three goalkeepers at Southampton this season because Aaron Ramsdale got injured, Alex [McCarthy] got injured so we used Joe Lumley.
“I think consistency is really important. Having two [top goalkeepers] when one gets injured knowing the other coming in is top [level], because he’s been a really good servant for them Martin Dubravka. He’s a really good goalkeeper so knowing you’ve got that is really important.”
Pope has regularly been questioned about his ability to play out from the back under pressure and it’s a debate that has resurfaced in recent weeks.
Beating Liverpool’s press will play a major part in the end result for Newcastle, with Dubravka’s calmness on the ball giving him the edge over Pope, even if the England international did keep a clean sheet last time out.
There’ll be a sentimental argument for Dubravka to start in between the sticks given his service at St. James’ Park, but that’s not the reason supporters are clamouring for his selection – he’s thoroughly deserved this moment with his performances this season.
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