Newcastle wins the English League Cup and secures its first major domestic trophy in 70 years

LONDON (AP) — After 70 long years the wait is over for Newcastle.

The Saudi-backed club beat Liverpool 2-1 on Sunday to win the English League Cup and end an agonizing trophy drought.

Dan Burn and Alexander Isak scored either side of halftime to seal victory at Wembley. And even though Liverpool substitute Federico Chiesa set up a tense finish to the final with a goal in added time, nothing was going to stand in Newcastle's way.

“After 70 years we can now say we are the champions again," a tearful Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes said. "It's one of the best days of my life."

Newcastle’s last major domestic trophy was the FA Cup in 1955. It won the now-defunct Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1969.

This was its first piece of silverware since being bought by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund in 2021 - a deal that was expected to transform the fortunes of one of English soccer's most iconic clubs.

Burn’s powerful header opened the scoring just before halftime and Isak doubled the lead in the 52nd minute with a sweeping shot from close range.

Chiesa raced through to pull a goal back in the fourth minute of added time, but Newcastle held on to spark raucous celebrations from its long-suffering fans.

While Liverpool is 12 points clear of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League and looks on course to win a record-equaling 20th English title this season, coach Arne Slot was forced to wait for his first trophy since succeeding Jurgen Klopp last year.

The defeat ended a painful week for the Merseyside club, which was also knocked out of the Champions League on Tuesday after losing to Paris Saint-Germain in a penalty shootout.

"It took us 7, 8, 9 months to lose twice in a row," Slot said. “You know that if you go far in tournaments that the opposition you face gets stronger and stronger. And even Liverpool can lose football games.”

There have been near misses and painful lows during Newcastle's trophy wait, including back-to-back FA Cup final losses in 1998 and ’99 and defeat to Manchester United in the League Cup final two years ago.

On this occasion Eddie Howe's team was a worthy winner against a Liverpool team that has been too good for its top flight rivals this season - losing just once in the league.

“You don’t get many shots at a cup final. Today we had to try to take our opportunity and that’s where the players delivered under pressure so well and so impressively," Howe said. “It also proves proves we can mix our game against the very, very best."

Newcastle fans, whose joyous singing dominated Wembley, will hope this is the start of things to come under its new owners.

Despite being backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund which counts its assets at around $925 billion, soccer’s financial fair play restrictions have limited Newcastle’s spending, meaning it has not been able to make the type of lavish signings seen by Abu Dhabi-backed Manchester City and Qatari-backed PSG. Last summer it only spent around $36 million and recouped around $100 million in sales.

Burn and Isak were two of the big signings under the Saudi era and they delivered at Wembley.

“Hopefully with one (it) can become more," Howe said about winning more trophies in the future. “There’s no guarantee, I just think it proves we can do it.”

Mikel Merino led Arsenal to a 1-0 win against Chelsea in the Premier League to close the gap on Liverpool to 12 points.

Arsenal’s title hopes have faded in recent weeks, but Merino’s first-half header settled the London derby at the Emirates Stadium.

“The only thing we can do is try to win our matches. If we do, we are in a better position,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said.

Merino rose in the 20th minute to flick Martin Odegaard’s near post corner beyond Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez. It was enough to secure a first league win for Arsenal since Feb. 15.

Defeat for fourth-placed Chelsea means it missed the chance to extend its one-point lead over Manchester City in fifth and boost its chance of qualifying for the Champions League next season.

Arsenal, on 58 points, is 10 clear of four-time defending champion City.

Three days after beating Real Sociedad 4-1 in the last 16 of the Europa League, Manchester United enjoyed a 3-0 win at struggling Leicester in the Premier League.

Rasmus Hojlund ended his goal drought to open the scoring for United at the King Power Stadium and, after having a goal disallowed, Alejandro Garnacho doubled the advantage.

Bruno Fernandes wrapped up three points with a late goal as the visitors climbed to 13th and inflicted a sixth successive loss on the relegation-threatened Foxes.

United's win was marred by a serious-looking injury to teenager Ayden Heaven. The 18-year-old arrived from Arsenal last month and gave an impressive first-half display on Sunday.

But Heaven’s full Premier League debut came to an agonizing end shortly after halftime, with the United center back taken off on a stretcher after lengthy treatment, having been hurt stopping Patson Daka reaching a cross.

Another setback for Tottenham is likely to increase the pressure on coach Ange Postecoglou heading into the international break after a 2-0 loss at Fulham.

Spurs, in 14th, have only won one of their last five in all competitions and this was a 15th league defeat of the season.

“It’s been a difficult campaign for sure. But I feel we’ve lost too many games that we should have got stuff out of, and this was one of those games,” Postecoglou said. “It’s another international break we go into off a loss and you feel that. We just need to make sure we’re ready for when we come back.”

Rodrigo Muniz gave Fulham the lead in the 78th at Craven Cottage and Ryan Sessegnon doubled the home team’s lead 10 minutes later.

Fulham is eighth and four points behind Chelsea in the race for a Champions League place.

James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes scores his side's third goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Leicester City and Manchester United, at the King Power Stadium, Leicester, England, Sunday March 16, 2025. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)

Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes, top right, celebrates scoring his side's third goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Leicester City and Manchester United, at the King Power Stadium, Leicester, England, Sunday March 16, 2025. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)

Liverpool's Federico Chiesa, right, scores his side's opening goal during the EFL Cup final soccer match between Liverpool and Newcastle at Wembley Stadium in London, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai and Liverpool's Curtis Jones on the pitch disappointed after losing the EFL Cup final soccer match between Liverpool and Newcastle at Wembley Stadium in London, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Newcastle's Dan Burn, left, and Newcastle's Fabian Schaer celebrate after winning the EFL Cup final soccer match between Liverpool and Newcastle at Wembley Stadium in London, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Newcastle United players celebrate with the trophy after winning the EFL Cup final soccer match between Liverpool and Newcastle at Wembley Stadium in London, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Newcastle players celebrate after winning the EFL Cup final soccer match between Liverpool and Newcastle at Wembley Stadium in London, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)

Newcastle's Bruno Guimaraes lifts the trophy after winning the EFL Cup final soccer match between Liverpool and Newcastle at Wembley Stadium in London, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)

Newcastle players celebrate after winning the EFL Cup final soccer match between Liverpool and Newcastle at Wembley Stadium in London, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)

Newcastle's head coach Eddie Howe lifts the trophy after winning the EFL Cup final soccer match between Liverpool and Newcastle at Wembley Stadium in London, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)

Liverpool's Darwin Nunez reacts during the EFL Cup final soccer match between Liverpool and Newcastle at Wembley Stadium in London, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)

Newcastle's head coach Eddie Howe, front, celebrates at the end of the EFL Cup final soccer match between Liverpool and Newcastle at Wembley Stadium in London, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)

Liverpool's Federico Chiesa, right, scores his side's first goal during the EFL Cup final soccer match between Liverpool and Newcastle at Wembley Stadium in London, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Newcastle's Dan Burn and Newcastle's Fabian Schaer celebrate after winning the EFL Cup final soccer match between Liverpool and Newcastle at Wembley Stadium in London, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Newcastle's Alexander Isak, left, celebrates with teammates after scoring his side's second goal during the EFL Cup final soccer match between Liverpool and Newcastle at Wembley Stadium in London, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)

Newcastle's Alexander Isak, centre, celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the EFL Cup final soccer match between Liverpool and Newcastle at Wembley Stadium in London, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Newcastle's Dan Burn celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the EFL Cup final soccer match between Liverpool and Newcastle at Wembley Stadium in London, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)

Arsenal's Mikel Merino, center, greets supporters at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Emirates stadium in London, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)

Tottenham Hotspur's manager Ange Postecoglou during the English Premier League soccer match between FC Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur, in London, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)

Fulham's Ryan Sessegnon, bottom, celebrates after scoring his side's second goal with Rodrigo Muniz during the English Premier League soccer match between FC Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur, in London, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)

Chelsea's goalkeeper Robert Sanchez fails to save the goal from Arsenal's Mikel Merino, second left, during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Emirates stadium in London, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)

Arsenal's manager Mikel Arteta applauds supporters at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Emirates stadium in London, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)

Arsenal's Mikel Merino, centre, greets supporters at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Emirates stadium in London, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday calling for the dismantling of the U.S. Education Department, advancing a campaign promise to take apart an agency that’s been a longtime target of conservatives.

Trump has derided the Education Department as wasteful and polluted by liberal ideology. However, completing its dismantling is most likely impossible without an act of Congress, which created the department in 1979. Republicans said they will introduce legislation to achieve that, while Democrats have quickly lined up to oppose the idea.

The order says the education secretary will, “to the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law, take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities."

It offers no detail on how that work will be carried out or where it will be targeted, though the White House said the agency will retain certain critical functions.

Trump said his administration will close the department beyond its "core necessities," preserving its responsibilities for Title I funding for low-income schools, Pell grants and money for children with disabilities.

The White House said earlier Thursday that the department will continue to manage federal student loans, but the order appears to say the opposite. It says the Education Department doesn't have the staff to oversee its $1.6 trillion loan portfolio and “must return bank functions to an entity equipped to serve America's students.”

At a signing ceremony, Trump blamed the department for America’s lagging academic performance and said states will do a better job.

“It’s doing us no good," he said.

Already, Trump's Republican administration has been gutting the agency. Its workforce is being slashed in half, and there have been deep cuts to the Office for Civil Rights and the Institute of Education Sciences, which gathers data on the nation’s academic progress.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon said she will remove red tape and empower states to decide what’s best for their schools. But she promised to continue essential services and work with states and Congress "to ensure a lawful and orderly transition.”

The measure was celebrated by groups that have long called for an end to the department.

"For decades, it has funneled billions of taxpayer dollars into a failing system—one that prioritizes leftist indoctrination over academic excellence, all while student achievement stagnates and America falls further behind," said Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation.

Advocates for public schools said eliminating the department would leave children behind in an American education system that is fundamentally unequal.

“This is a dark day for the millions of American children who depend on federal funding for a quality education, including those in poor and rural communities with parents who voted for Trump,” NAACP President Derrick Johnson said.

Opponents are already gearing up for legal challenges, including Democracy Forward, a public interest litigation group. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called the order a “tyrannical power grab” and “one of the most destructive and devastating steps Donald Trump has ever taken.”

Margaret Spelling, who served as education secretary under Republican President George W. Bush, questioned whether whether the department will be able to accomplish its remaining missions, and whether it will ultimately improve schools.

“Will it distract us from the ability to focus urgently on student achievement, or will people be figuring out how to run the train?" she asked.

Spelling said schools have always been run by local and state officials, and rejected the idea that the Education Department and the federal government have been holding them back.

Currently, much of the agency’s work revolves around managing money — both its extensive student loan portfolio and a range of aid programs for colleges and school districts, like school meals and support for homeless students. The agency also is key in overseeing civil rights enforcement.

The Trump administration has not formally spelled out which department functions could be handed off to other departments or eliminated altogether. It hasn't addressed the fate of other department operations, like its support for for technical education and adult learning, grants for rural schools and after-school programs, and a federal work-study program that provides employment to students with financial need.

States and districts already control local schools, including curriculum, but some conservatives have pushed to cut strings attached to federal money and provide it to states as “block grants” to be used at their discretion.

Block granting has raised questions about vital funding sources including Title I, the largest source of federal money to America’s K-12 schools. Families of children with disabilities have despaired over what could come of the federal department's work protecting their rights.

Federal funding makes up a relatively small portion of public school budgets — roughly 14%. The money often supports supplemental programs for vulnerable students, such as the McKinney-Vento program for homeless students or Title I for low-income schools.

Republicans have talked about closing the Education Department for decades, saying it wastes money and inserts the federal government into decisions that should fall to states and schools. The idea has gained popularity recently as conservative parents’ groups demand more authority over their children’s schooling.

In his platform, Trump promised to close the department “and send it back to the states, where it belongs.” Trump has cast the department as a hotbed of “radicals, zealots and Marxists” who overextend their reach through guidance and regulation.

Even as Trump moves to dismantle the department, he has leaned on it to promote elements of his agenda. He has used investigative powers of the Office for Civil Rights and the threat of withdrawing federal education money to target schools and colleges that run afoul of his orders on transgender athletes participating in women's sports, pro-Palestinian activism and diversity programs.

Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, a Democrat on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, dismissed Trump's claim that he's returning education to the states. She said he is actually “trying to exert ever more control over local schools and dictate what they can and cannot teach.”

Even some of Trump’s allies have questioned his power to close the agency without action from Congress, and there are doubts about its political popularity. The House considered an amendment to close the agency in 2023, but 60 Republicans joined Democrats in opposing it.

This story has been corrected to reflect the name of the group supporting Trump's education initiatives. It is Moms for Liberty, not Moms for Justice.

The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find the AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Dozens of people gather in downtown Niles, Mich., Thursday, March 20, 2025, to protest recent government cuts in the Department of Education. (Don Campbell/The Herald-Palladium via AP)

Kay May joins dozens of people gathered in downtown Niles, Mich., Thursday, March 20, 2025, to protest recent government cuts in the Department of Education. (Don Campbell/The Herald-Palladium via AP)

Dozens of people gather in downtown Niles, Mich., Thursday, March 20, 2025, to protest recent government cuts in the Department of Education. (Don Campbell/The Herald-Palladium via AP)

Cindy Mugent joins dozens of people gathered in downtown Niles, Mich., Thursday, March 20, 2025, to protest recent government cuts in the Department of Education. (Don Campbell/The Herald-Palladium via AP)

Bob Blazo blows a horn as he joins dozens of people gathered in downtown Niles, Mich., Thursday, March 20, 2025, to protest recent government cuts in the Department of Education. (Don Campbell/The Herald-Palladium via AP)

President Donald Trump signs an executive order in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

President Donald Trump arrives at the annual St. Patrick's Day luncheon at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

President Donald Trump walks with Elon Musk's son X Æ A-Xii on the South Lawn of the White House, Friday, March 14, 2025, in Washington before they depart on Marine One. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Protestors gather during a demonstration at the headquarters of the Department of Education, Friday, March 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Protestors gather during a demonstration at the headquarters of the Department of Education, Friday, March 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Sarah Cummings carries a protest sign to save the Department of Education while joining other protesters outside a Tesla showroom and service center in the North Hollywood section of Los Angeles on Saturday, March 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)