Carabao Cup Final – Marcus Rashford vs Allan Saint-Maximin

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Manchester United and Newcastle United will go head to head this weekend when they meet in the 2022/23 Carabao Cup Final with both Northern clubs looking to end their respective trophy droughts.

Both Manchester United and Newcastle United have squads filled with unbelievable players, with many currently in the best  form of their careers.  Two players that stand out amongst the rest are Marcus Rashford and Allan Saint-Maximin.

Rashford is currently in the best form of his career.  He has scored 24 goals and provided 9 assists in 37 appearances in all competition so far this season.  The winger has been reinvigorated under Ten-Hag after looking burnt out under previous managers.

Allan Saint-Maximin may not be keeping up with Rashford’s output, but it would be foolish for Erik Ten Hag to underestimate one of the trickiest wingers in world football.  The Frenchman is arguably the most lethal player with the ball at his feet in England.  He can beat any defender that is put in front of him with his incredible combination of athleticism, power and skill.

Manchester United have not won a major trophy for close to a decade.  Jose Mourinho was the last manager to add to their cabinet, winning the UEFA Europa League and the EFL Cup in his first season back in 2016.

Newcastle have had a drought spanning decades, with their last major trophy coming in 1969 when they won the Fairs Cup.  You would have to go back 68 years when their last major English trophy was won, the 1955 FA Cup.

Rashford will once again be the focal point of United’s attack, this will be the biggest test of Newcastle’s defense this season.  While Saint-Maximin’s ability to pick the ball up deep and drive on the counterattack will require midfielders like Casemiro to stay disciplined and protect the defenders behind him.

What makes both these attackers such a threat is that they do not need to be directly involved in the game to influence it, they can be quiet all game with no real threat but if they are given half a chance to get past their defender,  they will take it.

Will Marcus Rashford begin the Erik Ten Hag trophy winning era at Manchester United? Or will Allan Saint-Maximin bring silverware back to Newcastle United for the first time in nearly 70 years?

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Dylan Johnson