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.”

It was at that moment I, for the first time, believed Eddie Howe's men were going to end their lengthy trophy drought. In truth, there had been little reason to be nervous - either side of Pope's save.

Newcastle righted the wrongs of their EFL Cup final defeat to Manchester United in 2023, and Howe thinks their first major domestic trophy in 70 years will act as a platform to build on