Newcastle manager Eddie Howe played down his Carabao Cup ambitions after his side reached the last four, insisting “we just have to focus on the football”.
Newcastle, runners-up in the competition in 2023, booked their place in the semi-finals with a 3-1 win over Brentford thanks to a brace from Sandro Tonali and a goal from Fabian Sarr at St James’ Park on Wednesday night.
Yoane Wissa pulled one back for the visitors in the second half, but it proved to be more than a consolation as a strong Newcastle side advanced.
Winger Anthony Gordon had told the gathering he believed the Magpies could go on to win the cup and end a 70-year domestic trophy drought.
Newcastle qualified for the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/VSCKsKWn64
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) December 18, 2024
And that sentiment was echoed by Brentford boss Thomas Frank, who politely said he hoped Newcastle would lift the trophy after the game.
“I think they can win it. We have Liverpool, Arsenal (in the semi-final) – we need a change. It would mean more to the Newcastle fans too,” Frank said.
Howe largely shrugged off Frank’s praise, choosing to focus on the next few games.
“It’s nice with Thomas, but we just have to focus on football,” Howe said.
“We’ve got some big Premier League games in between so we have to focus on those. In the blink of an eye we’ll be at Portman Road (against Ipswich on Saturday) and we’ve got to be ready for that game now.”
The Newcastle manager, however, had some kind words for Tonali, whose two first-half strikes set Howe’s side on course for victory.
This technique. 😮💨🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/eZUrjxIKF6
— Newcastle United (@NUFC) December 18, 2024
“It was great to see Sandro score the two he did,” Howe added.
“We’re starting to see the best of him. The tweak in position has certainly helped him, he is much more comfortable when he is deeper in the pitch.
“He shows all the qualities we knew when we signed him. It’s just finding the right balance for him and the team.”
