Gary Neville fires Newcastle United shot in Liverpool, EFL Cup prediction | OneFootball

Liverpool face Newcastle United on Sunday in the EFL Cup final

Gary Neville has tipped Liverpool to beat Newcastle United in the EFL Cup final this Sunday as the Mags "never play well at Wembley".

The Reds will be looking to bounce back after their penalty shootout defeat at Anfield to PSG on Tuesday night.

Arne Slot’s side are the runaway leaders at the top of the Premier League table, and the Dutchman can secure his first silverware for the club with a victory over the Magpies at Wembley Stadium.

However, Newcastle are looking to end a 70-year wait for a domestic honour, with their last cup triumph coming in the FA Cup in 1955, most recently losing the 2023 EFL Cup final to Manchester United.

Gary Neville predicts Liverpool vs Newcastle United

Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Neville predicted a 2-0 win for Liverpool against Newcastle.

He believes that there is no stopping Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah from taking home the trophy this Sunday.

“Here we go — I think Liverpool will win 2-1 or 2-0…2-0 Liverpool,” said Neville.

“Newcastle never play well at Wembley - I hope they do!

“When you watch Newcastle at Wembley, you see all them fans that have travelled like six, seven hours, you think go on and give them something, surprise them.

"I can't see Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk not being winners on Sunday.

“You know when you look at two players and you just think, who's going to take that off them?"

Roy Keane backed up Neville’s prediction, suggesting the Merseyside outfit will win 3-1.

Liverpool’s route to the final

Liverpool began the defence of their EFL Cup trophy with an emphatic 5-1 win over West Ham.

Victories over Brighton, Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur in the subsequent rounds earned Slot’s side a place in the final.

The Reds are looking to win the competition for a record-breaking 11th time, extending their lead at the top of the honour’s list.

The game gets underway on Sunday at Wembley Stadium at 4.30pm.

Liverpool will be extra motivated after PSG loss

Liverpool’s loss to PSG put a sour mood on an otherwise impressive campaign for the club, so Sunday’s final will be a chance to reinvigorate the team.

The EFL Cup has become a marker for new managers at big clubs to get a trophy early in their reign, and Slot can follow in Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola’s footsteps on Sunday in that respect.

But they will be facing a Newcastle team that will want to end their own trophy drought, especially after reaching this stage of the competition in 2023 and performing so poorly on the day.