Fans have confronted the glaring issue surrounding Mohamed Salah after Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat to Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final, a result that ended the Magpies’ 70-year wait for domestic silverware.
Newcastle claimed their first major trophy since 1955 with goals from Dan Burn and Alexander Isak on a historic day at Wembley. Burn, a lifelong Newcastle supporter, headed home a powerful opener just before halftime, and Isak doubled the lead early in the second half after a clever assist from Jacob Murphy — minutes after having a goal disallowed for offside.
Although Liverpool pulled one back through Federico Chiesa following a VAR check, Newcastle held firm to secure a well-earned victory.
After a draining Champions League exit on penalties to PSG earlier in the week, Liverpool looked flat and failed to find their rhythm in attack, despite a few brief flashes of danger.
The spotlight quickly turned to Mo Salah, widely regarded as Liverpool’s talisman and a Ballon d’Or contender, who was largely anonymous during the final. Fans were quick to point out that his only goal in a final for Liverpool remains a penalty against Tottenham in 2019.
One fan on X wrote: “Mohamed Salah and finals. We need to have a serious talk.”
Another added: “Dan Burn has more non-penalty goals in finals than Mo Salah.”
A third chimed in: “Another big game, and Salah has done nothing.”
A fourth commented: “This past week proves Salah shouldn’t be in Ballon d’Or talks or labeled an all-time great — he goes missing when it counts.”
Finally, someone joked: “We’re going to have to talk about Salah soon. Man’s been wearing a ghost costume for days.”
Salah looked dejected after the final whistle as Newcastle celebrated their triumph.
With this win, Newcastle secured a spot in European competition for next season via the Conference League. However, if they qualify for the Europa League or Champions League through their league finish, that Conference League place will go to the team finishing seventh or eighth in the Premier League.