Sandro Tonali’s brace guided Newcastle to a 3-1 victory over Brentford in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals at St James’ Park, sending Eddie Howe’s side into the final four in commanding fashion.
The Italian midfielder delivered two outstanding first-half finishes to put the Magpies firmly in control. His first, a powerful strike from just outside the box, was his first goal since netting on his Newcastle debut in August. The second came shortly after, as Tonali met a corner with a deft volley that left Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken helpless.
Newcastle’s dominance continued in the second half, and Fabian Schar’s close-range tap-in midway through the period effectively ended the contest. While Yoane Wissa managed a consolation goal in stoppage time, Brentford rarely troubled the home side, struggling to create chances for much of the game.
Eddie Howe showed his intent by naming an unchanged XI from the team that routed Leicester 4-0 in the Premier League on Saturday. That decision paid off as Newcastle controlled proceedings against a Brentford team hampered by setbacks, including the loss of Sepp van den Berg to injury during the warm-up and Ethan Pinnock’s early exit with a hamstring issue.
Thomas Frank’s side might have questioned a possible foul in the buildup to one of Tonali’s goals, but they could have few overall complaints after a night in which little went their way. Newcastle’s clinical performance and depth proved too much, leaving them just one step away from another cup final.
