"For us, it's like the World Cup final" – Newcastle United star warns Liverpool ahead of EFL Cup final

Liverpool have won a record 10 EFL Cups so far.

Newcastle United ace Bruno Guimaraes has warned Liverpool that Eddie Howe's side are treating the upcoming EFL Cup final as a FIFA World Cup final.

The Magpies, whose last major trophy was the FA Cup in 1955, advanced to the EFL Cup final after beating Arsenal in the semi-finals. The Reds, on the other hand, defeated Tottenham Hotspur over two semi-final legs to reach the summit clash.

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After Newcastle's 1-0 Premier League win at West Ham United earlier this Monday, Guimaraes was asked if his team could triumph over Liverpool. He replied to Sky Sports (h/t Metro):

"Of course, I think we can beat Liverpool. It's a final, anything can happen. The fans are 50/50, our fans can make a big difference for us. For us, it's like the World Cup final because we want to make history for this club. It's a long time for the fans without a trophy. For us, it's a big game and we believe we can go there and get the trophy."

The Magpies have won three and lost three of their past six outings in all competitions, shipping 13 goals. When asked to shed light on the reason behind his side's below-par form ahead of the EFL Cup final, the Brazilian midfielder replied:

"The EFL Cup final has been a little bit of a distraction to be honest. A few of us have been thinking about the final. We know we will play one of the best teams in the world. But I have confidence in us and am hopeful we can go to Wembley and get the title."

Guimaraes, who has scored thrice in 36 total club games this term, said:

"The people doubt us but we have no doubts, we have a lot of focus on ourselves and belief in the players we have in the squad. Of course, we are missing players [like Anthony Gordon, Sven Botman, and Lewis Hall] and that's not good for us but [against West Ham] we showed we have a strong squad."