Newcastle United qualified for the Carabao Cup semifinals for the first time since 1976 as second-half goals from Dan Burn and Joelinton sealed a 2-0 quarterfinal win on Tuesday night against Leicester City at St. James’ Park.
A man of the match performance by Leicester goalkeeper Danny Ward had threatened to frustrate Newcastle and take the game to penalties, but Burn’s and Joelinton’s goals won the tie to keep alive hopes of a first domestic trophy for the Magpies since 1955.
Newcastle are closing in on their first major final since 1999 and the club’s transformation under manager Eddie Howe is taking a giant leap forward with their Carabao Cup quarterfinal win against Leicester.
Burn’s first goal for the club opened the scoring on 60 minutes before Joelinton made the game safe with Newcastle’s second 12 minutes later.
The result led to lengthy celebrations by the home fans whose desperate wait for success stretches back to the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup (now the Europa League) back in 1969. In terms of domestic silverware, the 1955 FA Cup is the last to grace the Newcastle’s trophy cabinet.
But with Newcastle also chasing a top-four finish in the Premier League, progression to a cup semifinal is a huge testament to the work done by Howe since his appointment in November 2021.
When he arrived at the club, Newcastle were fighting against relegation, but since then, the former Bournemouth boss has turned the team into one of the most consistent in the Premier League
Howe has transformed the fortunes of several players, including Joelinton and Miguel Almiron in particular, who were regarded as expensive flops before Howe took charge.
Both are now in form and crucial figures in the team. And Howe has also worked wonders in the transfer market by helping sign the likes of Burn, Kieran Trippier, Bruno Guimaraes, Nick Pope and Sven Botman.
With Newcastle now backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and poised to keep pace with other top clubs financially, it seems inevitable that success will become the norm in the years ahead.
But right now, the Magpies are at the foothills of their journey, and Howe’s work has been the most significant factor in their rise. They are now eyeing up a Wembley final, with only a semifinal standing between them and the Carabao Cup final.
ESPN
