Newcastle United kept their dream of ending a long trophy drought alive, advancing to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup with a convincing 2-0 victory over Chelsea at St James’ Park. This victory keeps Newcastle on course for their first major silverware since 1969 and offers a chance to erase the memories of their 2023 Carabao Cup final defeat.
The breakthrough came during a decisive three-minute spell in the first half, where Newcastle’s intense pressing game forced Chelsea into costly mistakes. Alexander Isak opened the scoring after Joelinton pressed hard to regain possession, allowing Sandro Tonali to set up Isak for a clinical finish. Just minutes later, Axel Disasi compounded Chelsea’s troubles, accidentally slicing the ball into his own net after a flick-on from Joe Willock.
Chelsea, who fielded a heavily rotated side with 11 changes from their Premier League victory over Newcastle just days earlier, struggled to find rhythm under the pressure of Newcastle’s press. This match marked the first significant setback of the season for Chelsea under new manager Enzo Maresca, as their attempts to play out from the back repeatedly led to turnovers in dangerous areas.
Newcastle now look ahead to a home clash with Brentford in the quarter-finals, scheduled for the week beginning Monday, December 16.
