Everything to Know Ahead of a Record Breaking Evening at St James’ 🏆

👋 It’s quarter-final day! It’s a record-breaking day for the Magpies, reaching the quarter-finals three years in a row for the first time in our history – but can we break our history of heartache at this stage?

In this weeks Pitch Notes 👇

• 🏆 Everything you need to know ahead of tonight's quarter-final cup clash.

• 💇‍♂️ The Toon trio looking to make an impact with a fresh look ahead of the game.

• 🏥 Suspensions, injury updates and a potential return for our young midfield star.

🗓️ ON THIS DAY

On this day in 2001, Newcastle achieved a memorable 3-1 victory over Arsenal at Highbury, propelling them to the top of the Premier League.

Despite trailing 1-0 at halftime after Robert Pirès's 20th-minute goal, the Magpies mounted a spirited second-half comeback.

Andy O'Brien equalized with a header on the hour mark, followed by Alan Shearer's penalty in the 86th minute and Laurent Robert sealed the win with a goal in stoppage time.

📣 THE MAIN STORY

Match Preview: High Stakes at St James' 🏆

Tonight, St. James' Park will host a high-stakes quarter-final in the League Cup, as Newcastle takes on Brentford under the lights.

It's familiar territory for our current squad and a record-breaking moment for Newcastle - reaching the quarter-finals three years in a row for the first time in our history.

However, our overall record at this stage of the competition hasn't been great, with only two successful progressions from 11 attempts (both of which ended in runner-up heartbreak).

It's also the second time in five seasons we've faced Brentford at this stage, with a 1-0 loss knocking us out of the competition last time out.

But history is on our side at home, where we've won seven of our last eight matches against them.

Recent matches against Brentford have been a bit of a rollercoaster. In our last encounter only a couple of weeks ago, they beat us 4-2, but we got the better of them by the same score line in the match before that.

Interestingly, there hasn't been a draw in the last six meetings between the sides. If that does happen tonight, though, there'll be no extra time or replay - it's straight to penalties.

Brentford has a strong penalty record in this competition, winning 7 of their 10 shootouts, compared to our less-than-impressive 4 out of 9.

Squad-wise, Sean Longstaff is suspended, opening the door for a possible return for Lewis Miley, who could feature after limited appearances so far this season.

Sven Botman is still out, having featured for the Under-21s on Monday - his senior return still isn't expected until January.

On the league table, Newcastle and Brentford are inseparable - level on points, goal difference, and only separated by goals scored.

These stats make penalties seem like a reasonably likely outcome, but with momentum and vengeance on our side, the Magpies will be pushing for a decisive win tonight.

If Newcastle progresses, the semi-finals will be played over two legs, with the draw taking place after Spurs face Manchester United on Thursday.

The Stat Sheet 🔢

• 🏆 Historic Quarter-Final: For the first time in club history, Newcastle has reached the League Cup quarter-finals three years in a row.

• 🏠 Strong Home Record: Newcastle has won 7 of the last 8 home matches against Brentford, offering hope for a home advantage tonight.

• 🔄 Recent Rollercoaster: Newcastle and Brentford have traded 4-2 victories in their last two meetings, highlighting the unpredictability of their encounters.

🤔 WHO AM I?

⏩ THE WEEK AHEAD

Next Up: Ipswich Away 🔜

This Saturday, we face Ipswich Town away at 3 PM in our first league meeting since 2017, when we suffered a 3-1 defeat in the Championship.

In the Premier League, Newcastle have only lost one of their last eight against newly promoted sides, while Ipswich have managed just two wins this season and remain in the relegation zone.

Ipswich haven't kept a clean sheet in 12 matches, meanwhile Newcastle come into this with 10 goals in their last five. and will be hoping for another goal-fest!

Sean Longstaff returns from suspension, but Joelinton will miss out after his yellow card against Leicester.

A win could see us climb back into the top half, with just two points separating us from sixth place.

📰 IN OTHER NEWS

• 🏴 Wor Flags Call for Support: With a huge cup quarter-final match approaching, Wor Flags has made a special appeal to Newcastle United fans to help create an electric atmosphere at St. James' Park by bringing their scarves and supporting the pre-match flag displays.

• 💰 Financial Reality Check: In his recent press conference, Howe stressed the importance of balancing expectations and the club’s long-term strategy, particularly in the upcoming January window. Emphasizing that while ambition remains high, financial limitations are slowing down the pursuit of major trophies.

• 💇‍♂️ Toon Trio’s Fresh Look: Brazilian stars Joelinton & Bruno Guimarães showed off their matching blonde hairstyles, with 21-year-old William Osula also getting in on the trend ahead of our upcoming EFL cup clash against Brentford - check it out here.

👋 Thanks for reading, thats all for this week - you can catch up on anything you might have missed over on our website. 

P.S. The answer to “who am I” is the spectacular, Laurent Robert.