The forgotten moment that proved decisive for Man Utd in Sunday’s Carabao Cup final win over Newcastle

There was less than two minutes between the two biggest moments in Sunday’s Carabao Cup final.

The second was Casemiro’s well-placed header on 33 minutes which gave Manchester United the lead at Wembley, one they held onto relatively comfortably against Newcastle United. A Sven Botman own-goal soon after doubled the Red Devils’ advantage, while an organised and dogged second-half showing ensured the Magpies could not claim a foothold in the encounter.

United were far from their best and Newcastle’s inability to create clear-cut chances and a lack of composure in front of goal were hugely significant factors in Erik ten Hag lifting his first piece of silverware with the club. Fabian Schar and Dan Burn should have done better with headers in the box, Joelinton couldn’t get his shot past a well-placed Lisandro Martinez on the line, but it was Allan Saint-Maximin’s effort that was the most costly miss.

The winger, perhaps Newcastle’s most dangerous outlet on Sunday, skipped past Diogo Dalot inside the box on 32 minutes and fired at David de Gea’s goal. The Spaniard barely had time to react but he threw out an instinctive arm and managed to claw the ball away.

It was an excellent stop from a player who continues to impress this season under Ten Hag. The United boss referred to him as ‘magnificent’ in October and insisted De Gea is a central feature of his long-term plans. "He is only 31. He is fit. He can progress even more. He was already impressive for Manchester United and I think he will do that in the future as well,” said Ten Hag.

It’s a remarkable turnaround for a player who seemed destined for the exit door two years ago and regularly frustrated home supporters last season with his distribution. He’s addressed some of those deficiencies and also looked more assured when coming to deal with crosses.

Yet, as Sunday’s cup final highlighted, it’s De Gea’s reaction saves which have always been his greatest asset. His stop to deny Saint-Maximin was the pivotal moment in the game, and within minutes of nearly falling behind, Casemiro had nodded the Red Devils into the lead.

The Wembley win means the 32-year-old now has two winner’s medals in the Carabao Cup, and there’s every chance he could add to his trophy haul by the end of the campaign.