Newcastle United will look to secure a spot in the Carabao Cup semi-finals on Wednesday as they host Brentford in the quarter-finals. Following a disappointing Premier League loss to Brentford earlier in the season, Eddie Howe’s side will be eager to bounce back and capitalize on their home advantage. The team will also take confidence from their dominant 4-0 victory over Leicester at St James’ Park on Saturday.
A win would send Newcastle to their second League Cup semi-final in three seasons, putting them just 180 minutes away from a potential return to Wembley.
Howe highlighted the importance of playing at home in his pre-match press conference on Tuesday. He expressed: “Having the home draw gives us a great feeling. We have such a powerful force at home with our supporters. We need to execute our plan well and build on the performance against Leicester.”
Newcastle have already triumphed in two League Cup games at home this season, defeating AFC Wimbledon and Chelsea. However, they will be missing several key players for the tie, including Sean Longstaff, who is suspended, and Callum Wilson, Nick Pope, Jamaal Lascelles, and Emil Krafth, who are all injured. Sven Botman, who played for the under-21s on Monday, will also not feature in the squad.
Despite the earlier loss to Brentford, Howe remains confident in his team’s home form. Newcastle have been unbeaten in their last two matches at St James’ Park, drawing with Liverpool and beating Leicester. Overall, the Magpies have won six of their eight home games this season, including impressive victories over Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, and a draw with Manchester City.
Looking ahead to the Brentford clash, Howe said: “The last two games have been really good performances. While we didn’t like how we played against Brentford earlier, we trust our attacking strength. Our sole focus now is on winning this match.”
