“He remains the danger man for them as the third top goal scorer in the Premier League this season. He has scored 19 goals and provided five assists. Only Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland sit above him in the goal scoring charts.”

He says Alisson’s fine form against Paris Saint Germain over the two legs in the UEFA Champions League makes him one of the Reds' most important players going into the final.

“A quick peak into the Liverpool team, and the focus on that team has been solely on goalkeeper Alisson Becker, who has been in superb form, especially in the first leg against Paris Saint Germain in the Champions League. PSG had 71 percent ball possession, 27 goal attempts, and 10 shots on goal, but still couldn’t score, simply because of Alisson’s heroics. So somebody who provides 16 saves over two legs is doing more than just ordinary work, and he has definitely been Liverpool’s hero. They know, however, that in a cup final, it’s not so much about saves but about who gets to score the goals.”

Marawa says Liverpool’s number nine, Darwin Nunez, could possibly lead the line come Sunday, but they will miss the absence of their attacking right back Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has picked up an ankle injury.

“The question is, how many options do Liverpool have in terms of who can provide goals on the day? The bad news is the looming absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold, who picked up an ankle injury against PSG this week. The injury doesn’t seem serious, but it’s been deemed serious enough not to risk it for the cup final. There is also no Conor Bradley, and no Joe Gomez, so the options are limited.

“However, the presence of Jarrell Quansah should be good enough. Quansah had a great game when he was introduced against PSG this week and has earned that starting berth. The big one for Liverpool manager Arne Slot, though, is whether he starts Darwin Nunez or not.

“We have all witnessed the love-hate relationship Slot has with Nunez. So can the Uruguayan be the hero , the man who provides the winning goal that makes everyone including himself forget about the penalty miss?”

Marawa is expecting a tough encounter for the league leaders.

“With Newcastle, we all know Eddie Howe is a very capable manager, and he will be desperate for a trophy having lost out in the Carabao Cup to Man United in the 2023 final. Newcastle have a chance of making history all over again.

“It is an intriguing tie, and this time I am not putting my neck on the block, but all I can say is that we are in for a very exciting final.”

united

Your Wembley ticket is here: Liverpool vs. Newcastle