As you're reading these words, I'm going to assume you realise that we'll be providing live text commentary of this game.

There are other ways you can follow the action on the BBC, though, the main one being on Radio 5 Live, who are currently building up to the game and will provide full commentary from 16:30 GMT.

If you prefer your radio commentary to be a bit more club focused, there will local coverage from both Radio Manchester and Newcastle.

To talk purely about recent form, Manchester United travel to London having lost just once since 6 November and on the back of a nine-game unbeaten run.

That sequence includes Thursday's rousing victory over Spanish giants Barcelona, which saw Erik ten Hag's team progress into the last 16 of the Europa League.

They remain a challenger on four fronts - with an FA Cup fifth-round tie with West Ham following today's final. In the league, they are eight points off leaders Arsenal but very much still in the mix in third place.

It feels like this is a Red Devils side finally punching it's weight, considering the club's lofty status and the huge amounts of money spent on players over recent years.

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester United have been here, done that and got the T-shirt as regards cup finals, be they League, FA or in Europe.

They have won this competition five times, won the FA Cup on 12 occasions and, as we all know, they also have a few league titles under their belt too.

They were the winners of the EFL Cup prior to Manchester City's four-year dominance between 2017 and 2021, when Jose Mourinho's side beat Southampton 3-2.

But that was also the last bit of domestic silverware the club have won, with them slipping down the a pecking order dominated largely by their cross-city rivals and fiercest foes from Merseyside.

Cue the arrival of Erik ten Hag, who has quietly and efficiently begun an impressive rebuilding job, all while wearing a pretty snazzy range of polo-neck sweaters.

Do you think the Newcastle fans are enjoying their weekend away?!

If you want to read more about this (including video of some fans cleaning up after crowd dispersed from Trafalgar Square) have a look here.

Yes, it's the League... sorry, EFL... argh, my bad... the Carabao Cup final, the first chance for a club to get a trophy in their cabinet back home.

And there is something quite refreshing about this one, seen as it features a side outside the big six super league lads - one that has had to watch on from deep in the stands as other clubs enjoyed their success and lifted trophies.

Newcastle haven't needed a decent supply of Brasso since 1969, when they secured the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. They've not had what many would consider a proper cup to polish since 1955.

But now, thanks to Saudi money and the fine work of Eddie Howe they are just 90 minutes away from a massive moment in their history and a significant milestone in what has been a pretty spectacular rise to prominence in the last year.

Image source, BBC Sport

Welcome to the start of trophy season!

In this most congested and confusing of seasons, we have finally dragged ourselves kicking and screaming to the point when we can start dishing out proper domestic honours. And what a first English major final we have in store...

Much to the neutrals delight, Manchester United have been out of the trophies game in this country since 2016-17, slumping into silverware hibernation. Newcastle have barely had a sniff of a trophy in 54 years.

It's a stirring giant against the latest moneybags on the block.