Of course, it is impossible to completely escape a city’s feelings and expectations — especially when the club’s all-time leading scorer, Alan Shearer, texts the club captain, Bruno Guimaraes, on the eve of the game. But his message was not one spewing emotion, but a clinical instruction: “Bring that trophy back.”

Newcastle have ended their 70-year wait for a domestic trophy with a stunning Carabao Cup final victory against Liverpool. Eddie Howe’s side were superior to the Reds as they sealed a 2-1