Postecoglou seals more Celtic silverware with cup final win over Rangers

Ange Postecoglou claimed his third trophy as Celtic manager with a 2-1 victory over bitter rivals Rangers in the Scottish League Cup final on Sunday (Monday AEDT).

Japanese forward Kyogo Furuhashi repeated his heroics from last season’s final by hitting a brace as Celtic dominated the contest at Hampden Park.

Ange Postecoglou lifts the Scottish League Cup.Credit: Getty Images

Furuhashi, who scored twice in a 2-1 win over Hibernian in the 2022 decider, missed a gilt-edged opportunity to put Celtic ahead in the 42nd minute, sending a header over the bar.

He quickly made amends by drifting into the six-yard box and slotting home a Greg Taylor cross two minutes later.

Rangers stepped up the pace after the interval and Ryan Kent hit the post early in the second half, but it was Celtic who scored again, with Furuhashi tapping in from a Reo Hatate assist.

Socceroo Aaron Mooy was also in action for Celtic at Hampden Park.Credit: Getty Images

Michael Beale’s Rangers pulled one back in the 64th minute when James Tavernier delivered a cross from a free kick that was turned in by Alfredo Morelos, but despite late pressure they could not find an equaliser. It is Celtic’s 21st Scottish League Cup title.

“It means the world to me. Time after time, you’re tasked to win at this club,” Celtic captain Callum McGregor told the BBC. “This is a special group. We can do both sides of the game. Listen to this place. It’s rocking.”

The game was marred by a clash between fans before kick-off. A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Enquiries are ongoing following a disturbance involving a large group outside Hampden Park.”

The teams will now shift focus back to the Scottish Premiership. Celtic are top of the table with 73 points from 26 games, while second-placed Rangers are nine points behind them.

Kerr shakes off jet lag in style

Elsewhere, even if Sam Kerr really was suffering from jet leg, no one would have known.

Just four days after leading Australia to the Cup of Nations triumph in Newcastle, the Matildas captain was back in business at her adopted English home, marking her 100th game for Chelsea with a goal in a 2-0 FA Cup triumph over London rivals Arsenal.

It was a surprise that the Chelsea striker’s name was on the teamsheet at all after jetting back from the other side of the world following a tiring three-game schedule for her country. She arrived back barely 72 hours before kick-off.

Yet Chelsea can’t seem to do without their talismanic No.20, especially at her home hunting ground at Kingsmeadow in a knockout competition that always seems to bring the best out of her, following her doubles in the last two Wembley cup final triumphs for the Blues.

Sophie Ingle opened the scoring for Chelsea in the 21st minute and Kerr doubled the lead soon after half-time with a clinical finish into the far corner over Manuela Zinsberger after being put through by a lovely ball from Serbian playmaker Jelena Cankovi.

Sam Kerr scores against Arsenal.Credit: Getty Images

In her century of games, Kerr has scored an astonishing 82 goals, and this one felt key in the Blues’ push for a “quadruple” of trophies in the Women’s Super League, Champions League, League Cup and FA Cup.

She laughed as the home crowd taunted Gunners fans with the refrain: “Even with jet lag, she’s better than you...”

“Some players get off a plane on Thursday night and complain about being tired on Friday – not her,” Chelsea coach Emma Hayes said.

“She comes in, does everything necessary and lifts the spirit of everyone in the building.

“She is the best in the business, and it’s not just 82 goals in 100 games, it is the mentality.”

At the other end, Kerr’s Matildas teammate Caitlin Foord, who scored against Jamaica on Wednesday, had a good game for Arsenal, and looked their most likely threat when she forged through on goal early in the second half only to be thwarted by desperate defence.

But it was a sobering afternoon for Arsenal, who also have to face Kerr and the champions in the League Cup final next weekend as she guns for her ninth trophy with Chelsea.

Manchester United end wait for silverware

There was cup joy for Manchester United too, as they beat Newcastle United 2-0 in the League Cup final at Wembley.

A header by Casemiro followed by an own goal by Sven Botman late in the first half silenced the hordes of Newcastle fans who had flocked to the capital full of optimism, only to watch Manchester United lift the trophy for a sixth time with relative ease.

Manchester United with the League Cup trophy.Credit: AP

Much of the build-up was about Newcastle’s first appearance in a major final since 1999 and an uptick in their fortunes instigated by Eddie Howe since a 2021 Saudi Arabia-led takeover.

But Erik ten Hag’s resurgent United showed them how far they still need to go as they claimed the club’s first trophy since winning the Europa League under Jose Mourinho in 2017 – their longest wait for silverware since 1983.

“It has been an amazing period, first trophy of the season but we want more, it is not enough for this club. We want more and we need more because our standards demand more,” Bruno Fernandes said. “For me it was about winning trophies and finally we did it. I am satisfied but I want more. I want much more.”

Casemiro scores Manchester United’s opener.Credit: Getty Images

There was little between the sides in a scrappy first half but the English season’s first silverware was effectively decided in six minutes.

Newcastle were stunned when Brazilian Casemiro met a superb Luke Shaw free kick in the 33rd minute to head past Loris Karius.

Six minutes later, Newcastle were left deflated when the in-form Marcus Rashford was played in down the left and his shot deflected over a helpless Karius for what initially appeared to be his 17th goal since the World Cup. However, it was credited to the unfortunate Botman.

The Tyneside club has now lost each of its last nine matches at Wembley, a run that began in the 1974 FA Cup final.

Oliver Skipp celebrates scoring for Tottenham Hotspur.Credit: Getty Images

Spurs pile on misery for Chelsea

In the English Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur bolstered their hopes for a top-four finish and extended Chelsea’s miserable run under coach Graham Potter with a 2-0 win over the Blues, thanks to second-half goals from Oliver Skipp and Harry Kane.

Seconds after the break, Skipp picked up a poor clearance by Chelsea’s British record signing Enzo Fernandez and fired in from more than 20 yards, his shot going in off the bar after Kepa Arrizabalaga could not get enough of a hand on it.

Chelsea, who have now won two of their last 15 games in all competitions, struggled to respond and, in the 82nd minute, Kane secured the win for Spurs when he pounced at the far post after a corner by Son Heung-min was flicked on by Eric Dier.

Chelsea failed to score for fourth time in five league games despite spending more than a quarter of a billion dollars on players in January alone.

The win – the first for the hosts in nine league games against Chelsea – kept Spurs fourth in the table, four points ahead of fifth-placed Newcastle United, who have two games in hand.

“Chelsea have been a difficult opponent for us over the last few years,” Kane told the BBC. “So it’s a really important win to keep us around fourth. Overall I thought we deserved the win.”

Reuters, AAP

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