And so it begins... the black and white takeover of the nation's capital.
Newcastle United's second Carabao Cup final in 25 months does not kick off until Sunday afternoon but the party is already beginning in London for those of a black and white persuasion.
2023 saw the Newcastle United faithful descend on Wembley in their droves, with thousands making the near 500-mile round trip knowing full well they did not have a match ticket. Meanwhile, it is no exaggeration to say Manchester United's supporters, who have experienced final after final, were nowhere to be seen until kick-off before they ultimately lifted the trophy.
Liverpool's supporters may well follow suit, given their recent domestic and European success - and due to the fact the Carabao Cup likely was the lowest ranked priority for the Merseyside outfit at the beginning of the season.
This time around, admittedly, it does feel a tad different for Newcastle - despite the fact they are still longing to end that well-documented trophy drought. Eddie Howe admitted as much on Friday when insisting his side have dealt with the competition in a 'really calm, controlled way, professional way'.
He and his team will head to the capital late on Saturday, hoping to avoid the type of exhausting trip that plagued them last time around. But while Howe is hoping for a more low-key experience in London, he may not be granted one. This, due to the fact it already seems Newcastle supporters are planning to once again take over the city well before the game itself.
With no Trafalgar Square gathering this year, it is the turn of Covent Garden to play host to some of the country's most passionate fans. Meanwhile, Newcastle's sponsors and partners have already gotten in on the act with their own plans in recent days.
Sela, the entertainment and live events company who are now the club's front of kit sponsor, delivered a Thursday night light show, with Alexander Isak, Bruno Guimarães and Dan Burn all involved. Four 15-second videos of Newcastle heroes, the club's iconic 'Tell Me Ma, We're going to Wembley' chant, and Sela's Carabao Cup Final scarves were projected onto Millbank Tower in the capital.
Sela is also donating 32,000 scarves for the big day to ensure every single Newcastle fan attending Wembley can create a wall of black and white before, during and after the game.
Meanwhile, Newcastle's kit manufacturers, Adidas, are ensuring the Toon Army are well represented in the centre of London. The company's flagship Oxford Street store has had a makeover in recent days, with Newcastle now dominating the busy location.
Large pictures of Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton and a host of Newcastle fans now cover the outside of the store, while inside a designated section with bespoke merchandise has been set up for fans making their way to the capital. Special editions of the club's official matchday shirt for Sunday are on sale, along with retro items and museum-style adverts and explainers dotted around the store.
Deals with Sela and Adidas have helped Newcastle both increase their pulling power and their all important revenue streams in recent months but the two companies are also showing they can be more than just a name on the club's shirt with these exciting initiatives for fans to partake in.
All in all, it promises to be a similar weekend to the one we all witnessed just two years ago, in terms of the rampant pre-match festivities on offer, hopefully with a different result come to the end of the all important 90 minutes. Howe himself, naturally, shares this view.
"We are positive," he said. "Our destiny is in our own hands. It is about us delivering a great performance."
Hundreds of fans from all over the globe have been leaving personalised messages for Eddie Howe and his players ahead of the Carabao Cup final. You can send your own message of support here through our Cheer Map
