Stuart Pearce believes Manchester United will come up short in the Carabao Cup final at the end of February.
As reported in The Daily Mail, Pearce is backing Newcastle to cause an upset at Wembley.
Speaking on talkSPORT, the former Newcastle defender says the club is in a great place and this will lead to them winning the first available trophy of the season.
“I’ve got a sneaky suspicion Newcastle will win it. The atmosphere there at the moment is just incredible, the club is absolutely flying and credit to them.” he said.
The ex-England international cited Newcastle’s excellent defensive record and praised the signings they have made since the Saudi takeover.
“(They’ve got) the best defensive record in the league. Eddie Howe’s signings have been brilliant.” he said
Meanwhile, United are looking to end their six-year trophy drought, with the club’s last silverware still the Carabao Cup won by Jose Mourinho in 2017.
Erik ten Hag has overseen an impressive return to form since his arrival in the summer and he will be desperate to underline the progress by securing a major trophy.
United will start as slight favourites with the bookmakers but Ten Hag knows Newcastle are a serious threat to his side.
Newcastle do have an advantage in terms of preparation for the final, with United facing twice the amount of games between now and then (6).
The pair played out a 0-0 draw at Old Trafford earlier this season, with Marcus Rashford and Fred missing guilt-edged chances in the second half for United.
Ten Hag will be hoping for a more ruthless performance at Wembley to get his United revolution off to the best possible start.
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