Chelsea v Newcastle LIVE: Carabao Cup updates as Blues win dramatic penalty shootout

Not long until kick-off now. Here’s a reminder of the teams.

Chelsea XI: Petrovic; Disasi, Silva, Badiashile, Colwill; Caicedo, Gallagher, Fernandez; Sterling, Jackson, Palmer

Newcastle XI: Dubravka; Krafth, Lascelles, Botman, Livramento; Guimaraes, Longstaff, Miley; Almiron, Wilson, Gordon

Tonight’s Carabao Cup quarter-finals will go straight to penalties should they finish as a draw after 90 minutes, with extra-time only coming into play from the semi-final stage of the competition.

Tottenham were knocked out on penalties by Fulham earlier in the tournament, after the second-round match finished as a 1-1 draw following 90 minutes at Craven Cottage.

Those rules will apply again as the last eight begins. Chelsea host Newcastle at Stamford Bridge tonight while Everton face Fulham at Goodison Park. On Wednesday, Liverpool take on West Ham at Anfield and there will be a non-Premier League side in the semi-finals as Port Vale entertain Middlesbrough.

The draw for the semi-finals will take place at the conclusion of Liverpool vs West Ham.

The semi-final stage of the Carabao Cup will played across two legs in January, in the weeks commencing the 8th and 21st.

With the current champions, Manchester United, being eliminated in the previous round there will be a new winner of the Carabao Cup in 2024.

Of the teams remaining in the competition, Liverpool - who won the trophy in 2022 - are the favourites to lift the league cup though they must first get past a strong West Ham United side on Wednesday night.

Last year’s runners-up, Newcastle United, are still in contention too having defeated United in the third round. They travel to London to face Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea tonight.

Elsewhere, the in-form Everton have a strong chance of reaching the semi-finals as they take on Fulham while there is a guaranteed non-Premier League club in the final four as League One’s Port Vale host Championship side Middlesbrough.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Carabao Cup semi-final draw:

Mauricio Pochettino pledged to keep open a path to the Chelsea first team for academy graduates who prove themselves good enough.

The manager has given debuts this season to six players aged 20 and under, including defender Levi Colwill who has become an England international after featuring in all but one of Pochettino’s games in charge at Stamford Bridge.

Alex Matos, the 19-year-old forward signed from Norwich in the summer, was an unused substitute during Saturday’s 2-0 win against Sheffield United having made his Premier League debut in October against Fulham.

There have also been Chelsea bows for academy graduate Bashir Humphreys, 20, the 18-year-old Brazilian striker Deivid Washington, 19-year-old defender Diego Moreira and Mason Burstow, the 20-year-old forward signed from Charlton in 2022.

Eddie Howe has urged teenager Lewis Miley to follow in the footsteps of fellow academy graduate Sean Longstaff as he attempts to establish himself as a regular at Newcastle.

The 17-year-old took another significant step in his fledgling career on Saturday when he became the club’s youngest Premier League goalscorer to inspire his boyhood team to a 3-0 victory over Fulham at St James’ Park.

Miley’s rise since he made his senior debut at Chelsea in May has been hugely impressive, but he still has much to learn and head coach Howe has told him to take his lead from established first-teamer Longstaff, who has already travelled a similar path.

Tonight’s Carabao Cup quarter-finals will be played without VAR, which is only used from the semi-finals onwards in the competition.

The VAR system is not used in the earlier rounds of the Carabao Cup as not all sides in the competition have access to the technology.

The rule remains in place until the semi-finals, where the English Football League will provide VAR to a lower-league club if required.

Chelsea host Newcastle at Stamford Bridge tonight as the Carabao Cup quarter-finals begin, while Everton face Fulham at Goodison Park. On Wednesday, Liverpool take on West Ham at Anfield and there will be a non-Premier League side in the semi-finals as Port Vale entertain Middlesbrough.

The EFL Cup might have started the season low on the list of priorities for Chelsea and Newcastle, but with the faint whiff of silverware now in the air, tonight’s quarter-final clash has taken on added importance for both clubs (8pm, Sky Sports Main Event).

The Blues would have begun the campaign aiming for a top-four finish after another summer of heavy investment in the squad. But 17 games into the season, the west London side are 12 points off fourth and as big as 16/1 in the Premier League odds to claim a Champions League spot.

With no European football on the agenda, going deep in both domestic cup competitions could be key to Mauricio Pochettino impressing the demanding Chelsea hierarchy.

They are second-favourites with football betting sites to win the EFL Cup at 7/2 with Betway and odds-on to see off last season’s runners-up Newcastle.

Here are three betting tips for tonight’s clash:

Chelsea XI: Petrovic; Disasi, Silva, Badiashile, Colwill; Caicedo, Gallagher, Fernandez; Sterling, Jackson, Palmer.

Newcastle XI: Dubravka; Krafth, Lascelles, Botman, Livramento; Guimaraes, Longstaff, Miley; Almiron, Wilson, Gordon

Enzo Fernandez returns to Chelsea’s midfield and Sven Botman is back in the heart of Newcastle’s defence in one of three changes for the visitors.

Christopher Nkunku is on the Chelsea bench.

Odds

Chelsea win 9/11

Draw 2/1

Newcastle win 3/1

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Prediction

Chelsea seem to be developing some decent form under Mauricio Pochettino who will be targeting silverware to ease the pressure on his team. With home advantage they will be a real threat to Newcastle who have developed a tendency to knock out strong Premier League teams during this League Cup run. The sides seem evenly matched and this one may come down to a penalty shootout.

Chelsea 1-1 Newcastle (Chelsea to win on penalties).

That’s the question on the lips of Chelsea fans this evening. They’ve waited patiently to see their £52m man since his pre-season injury.

He underwent knee surgery at the start of August after picking up the issue in pre-season and a lot of Blues supporters are pinning their hopes on Nkunku to solve their attacking woes.

The 26-year-old signed from RB Leipzig in the summer and he’s made 10 France appearances in his career. Whether he lines up as the centre forward in the ‘Nicolas Jackson’ role or a bit deeper remains to be seen.

He was on the bench in the weekend win over Sheffield United but wasn’t brought on by Mauricio Pochettino. Could tonight be the night? Team news will be in about 20 minutes.