Newcastle will take on Manchester United in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley on Sunday. 

It is the first time that the Magpies have reached the final of this competition since their sole appearance in 1976, when they were beaten 2-1 by Manchester City. 

The success-starved club last landed a major domestic trophy way back in 1955, a 3-1 FA Cup victory over the Citizens.

Ahead of the Magpies' opportunity to end that winless run, we look back at their road to Wembley.

Second round: Tranmere 1-2 Newcastle

Eddie Howe rotated heavily against League Two Tranmere and it looked like he might pay the price when Elliott Nevitt gave Rovers the lead in the 21st minute. 

Club captain Jamaal Lascelles settled nerves when levelling before the break, heading home a Kieran Trippier corner. 

And seven minutes after the restart, Trippier provided another assist for Chris Wood to give Newcastle a 2-1 lead that would ultimately seal their passage to the next round. 

Third round: Newcastle 0-0 Crystal Palace (3-2 on penalties)

Howe made more changes for the visit of Crystal Palace. 

Three days earlier, his side had beaten Southampton 4-1 in the Premier League and the manager opted to rest eight of his starting line-up from that convincing victory.

The result was a tense affair at St James’ Park. Goalkeeper Nick Pope had to make a notable stop from Jean-Philippe Mateta in the first half, with his opposite number Sam Johnstone denying Miguel Almiron late on. 

In the penalty shootout, Pope saved the efforts of Luka Milivojevic, Mateta and Malcolm Ebiowei to become Newcastle’s spot-kick hero. 

Fourth round: Newcastle 1-0 Bournemouth

This was Newcastle’s first game back after the season had been put on pause for the World Cup. 

Howe named Pope, Trippier, Fabian Schar, Bruno Guimaraes and Callum Wilson in his starting team despite the fact that they had all only recently returned from international duty. 

The game against fellow Premier League side Bournemouth was decided by a second-half own goal from Cherries defender Adam Smith. 

Quarter-final: Newcastle 2-0 Leicester

The Magpies walk out to the theme music from the film Local Hero before taking to the pitch — and Dan Burn lived up to that billing in this quarter-final against Leicester. 

Burn was released by Newcastle aged 11, only to return from Brighton in 2022.

He chose the perfect moment to score his first goal for the club with an accomplished second-half finish. 

Popular Brazilian Joelinton then doubled the lead, putting Newcastle through to their first League Cup semi-final in 47 years. 

Semi-final first leg: Southampton 0-1 Newcastle

Newcastle travelled to Southampton for the first leg of their semi-final and Joelinton once again got himself on the scoresheet for the Magpies.

After seeing a goal disallowed and then missing something of a sitter, the South American finally found the net legitimately in the 73rd minute. 

Saints' former Newcastle academy product Adam Armstrong looked to have levelled the tie, only for a VAR review to rule his late strike out. 

Semi-final second leg: Newcastle 2-1 Southampton

Newcastle went into the home leg heavy favourites against an out-of-form Southampton side, but after such a long wait for silverware, no one was taking anything for granted at St James’ Park. 

Local lad Sean Longstaff perhaps understood the tension more than most and lifted the mood with an opening goal after just five minutes of the game. 

Longstaff scored again in the 21st minute and though Che Adams put the visitors back in the tie, the hosts held on fairly comfortably, even after Guimaraes was sent off. 

Newcastle were finally back at Wembley and Howe now has the chance to win his first trophy for the club and simultaneously bring an end to years of pain for their long-suffering fans.