Player ratings from Wembley as Casemiro shines for Man Utd on a day when Erik ten Hag's side had to rely on the strength of their defence; Bruno Guimaraes and Allan Saint-Maximin did their best to drive Newcastle on but could not find a breakthrough
Sunday 26 February 2023 19:41, UK
Casemiro stepped up for Manchester United as he delivered a big performance in Sunday's Carabao Cup final win over Newcastle, while Marcus Rashford created a new memory at Wembley after his Euros penalty heartbreak.
David de Gea - 8
Stepped up when his side needed him. He produced a big reflex stop to deny Allan Saint-Maximin in the first half when Newcastle were putting Man Utd under intense pressure. There were some moments when his distribution left team-mates with a tough task, but on the whole he passed the ball well.
Diogo Dalot - 5
Struggled to keep up with Saint-Maximin after picking up an early booking and did not offer much going forward. Erik ten Hag took him off at the break for Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
Raphael Varane - 8
Stayed calm at the back when Man Utd were struggling early on. He produced a few key defensive interventions, including a tackle on Callum Wilson on the edge of the box early on. He was key to Man Utd shutting Newcastle out.
Lisandro Martinez - 8
The Argentine showed his bravery on a few occasions, putting his head in where it hurts to twice deny Newcastle. Martinez also produced a vital block to foil Bruno Guimaraes in the second half.
Luke Shaw - 8
It was Shaw's delivery that unlocked the game for Man Utd as Casemiro headed in their opening goal. The left-back's reading of the game helped him to cope with Newcastle's strong right-hand combination of Kieran Trippier and Miguel Almiron.
Casemiro - 9
The man for the big occasion showed up for Man Utd. Casemiro scored Man Utd's opener with a brilliant glancing header to swing the game in his side's favour when the momentum was with Newcastle. Casemiro's tenacity in midfield inspired the crowd to roar Man Utd on. He was sometimes guilty of a few loose passes, but more than made up for it with his reading of the game.
Fred - 6
Could not quite live up to his goal against Barcelona, sending a tame shot wide of the post in the second half under little pressure on the edge of the box. He popped up with a few defensive interventions at the back but did not manage to dominate the midfield battle and struggled to keep hold of the ball, leaving the pitch having lost the ball 12 times.
Antony - 6
Struggled to make an impact in the final third, firing a few tame efforts towards Loris Karius which were easily held. Successfully wound up Joelinton with his showboating against Dan Burn but was not decisive for Man Utd.
Bruno Fernandes - 6
Man Utd's starting captain had a relatively quiet game by his standards and misplaced some key passes on the break when he had team-mates free. Fernandes will feel he should have scored near the end, too.
Marcus Rashford - 7
Man Utd's goldenboy did not get the goal in the end but produced a neat flick to Wout Weghorst before getting the ball back for Man Utd's second. There were doubts about Rashford's fitness for the final and he looked leggy at times. He delivered when it counted, though, to help end his side's six-year trophy drought - even if the goal was not awarded to him.
Wout Weghorst - 7
Assisted Rashford's shot that Sven Botman deflected in for the second with a well-timed pass. The Dutch forward linked up play nicely and produced a good effort with his left foot which was saved well by Karius in the first half.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka - 8
Having been introduced for the second half, Wan-Bissaka managed to deal with Saint-Maximin and kept one of Newcastle's biggest threats quiet. The right back also had a few bright moments going forward.
Marcel Sabitzer - 6
Had an impact coming off the bench, delivering a few big challenges but could not find the target when presented with the chances.
Scott McTominay - 6
The midfielder helped shore things up for Man Utd when he came on as Newcastle pushed to get a goal back.
Jadon Sancho - 5
Sancho did not have much time to impact the game with seven minutes left on the clock, but had a few good touches and moments of promise.
Harry Maguire - N/A
The Man Utd captain wasn't on the pitch long enough to make his mark.
Loris Karius - 8
The 'keeper had the weight of the world on his shoulders before this game. But the former Liverpool man did not really put a foot wrong in his first competitive game for two years and could not do much about either goal. He produced two big saves to keep out Rashford and Fernandes.
Kieran Trippier - 7
Trippier brought a composure to the Newcastle back line and was a big threat on the overlap as he combined well with Almiron. The captain just could not find a way past Man Utd's defence to set up a team-mate on the occasions he put searching low crosses into the box. His experience was important for Newcastle on a huge day in the club's history.
Dan Burn - 6
Solid at the back as they kept Man Utd largely at bay for most of the game. He missed a good chance to halve the deficit just before half-time. It was tough for him to wrap his head around the cross, which was behind him, but Burn will feel he should have done better.
Sven Botman - 6
Awarded the own goal after Rashford's shot deflected in off him, but he knew little about it. He was a solid performer for Newcastle other than that and distributed the ball well.
Fabian Schar - 6
A good performance from Schar, who was brave in a header with Martinez, but could not find the target.
Joelinton - 7
Posed a threat for Newcastle going forward but could not quite find an opening. He held onto the ball well in midfield as Newcastle caused Man Utd problems through the middle.
Bruno Guimaraes - 8
Guimaraes was such a big miss for Newcastle during his three-match suspension. He showed no signs of rustiness on his return. The Brazilian's physical presence was key for Newcastle in the midfield battle and he held on to the ball consistently to give his side control for large periods. They just could not quite take advantage.
Sean Longstaff - 5
Brought off at half-time because of a tactical switch by Eddie Howe, but had played a part in Newcastle's early dominance over Man Utd which they could not quite turn into a goal.
Miguel Almiron - 6
Had a chance to give the ball to three or four team-mates early on at a counter-attack but completely miscued his pass. Struggled to find a way past Man Utd's defence after that although he did show moments of threat.
Allan Saint-Maximin - 7
Saint-Maximin was typically dangerous for the first hour of the game and had Dalot taken off at half-time because he could not handle him. He had less joy against Wan-Bissaka, though, and could not find that crucial pass in the final third.
Callum Wilson - 6
Threw himself around to give Varane and Martinez a tough time, but was feeding off scraps with the Man Utd defence giving him very little encouragement.
Alexander Isak - 7
Very positive when he came on as he took on Man Utd's players in the final third and tried to make things happen. He showed no fear on a big occasion but just could not find a way through.
Jacob Murphy - 6
Almost scored a screamer from 30 yards out to give Newcastle a lifeline in the second half that De Gea had no chance of stopping, but it was just a whisker wide.
Joe Willock - 5
Struggled to get into the game after coming on with just over 10 minutes to go, but kept the ball well.
