Newcastle United secured their place in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals with a 2-0 victory over a heavily rotated Chelsea side at St James' Park.
Eddie Howe’s Magpies took full advantage of Chelsea’s squad changes, which saw Enzo Maresca rest key players from Sunday’s league win, including standout forward Cole Palmer, who remained on the bench.
The match’s tone was set early on, with Newcastle applying high energy and pressure, much to the delight of the home crowd. Alexander Isak opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, capitalizing on a high press that left Chelsea scrambling to clear their lines.
Just three minutes later, an unfortunate own goal from Axel Disasi put Newcastle further ahead, effectively sealing Chelsea’s fate in a matter of minutes. Joe Willock’s header across goal took a deflection off Disasi, who miscontrolled, sending the ball into Chelsea’s net.
Though Chelsea’s “B” team did create some first-half chances—including Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s missed one-on-one—Newcastle maintained momentum throughout, especially with Sandro Tonali excelling in midfield and controlling the pace.
Despite some second-half adjustments, Chelsea struggled to find a breakthrough without Palmer's playmaking presence.
As Newcastle now look to make the most of their Carabao Cup opportunity, this victory offered a vital morale boost following their recent league struggles, marking a critical win for Howe’s squad.
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