Newcastle United route to retaining the Carabao Cup gets a little clearer | OneFootball

The route for Newcastle United to retain the Carabao Cup has now got a little bit clearer.

Eddie Howe and his players lifting the trophy at Wembley on Sunday 16 March 2025.

We are currently in the middle of the Carabao Cup last sixteen stage, playing for a place in the quarter-finals.

Those quarter-finals to be played the week commencing Monday 15 December 2025.

Then the two leg semi-finals will be played week commencing Monday 12 January 2026 and week commencing Monday 2 February 2026.

Before finally the 2026 Carabao Cup final to be played even later in the season than in 2024/25, at Wembley on Sunday 22 March 2026.

Ahead of that though, the small matter of reaching those quarter-finals.

The Carabao Cup fourth round matches were split over two nights and on Tuesday we saw the following results in the opening three games.

Grimsby 0 Brentford 5

Wycombe 1 Fulham 1 (Fulham won 5-4 on pens)

Wrexham 1 Cardiff 2

Brentford cruised through (unlike Man U did…) against Grimsby, three up by half-time and then adding a couple more after the break.

Not such easy progress for Fulham who carried the luck against Wycombe, who are currently 17th in League One. The home side took a fourth minute league before the Premier League side got a second half equaliser. Fulham riding their luck when getting through in the penalty shoot out, five of the penalties in total saved as the Cottagers eventually went through 5-4 on spot-kicks.

A massive night for League One Cardiff though, they swapped divisions with the much-hyped Wrexham at the end of last season and went away from home and dumped out the Championship side in this Welsh battle for a last eight place.

So the route to the Carabao Cup final a little clearer, with these two Premier League clubs and Cardiff becoming the first three to fill spaces in the last eight.

All attention tonight of course only on Newcastle United getting past Spurs. However, if NUFC manage that, I have a sneaking feeling that there will be at least one or two surprises in the other four Carabao Cup matches tonight, ahead of the quarter-final draw that will take place around 10.30pm (or later…), after the United match at St James’ Park.

Wednesday 29 October

Arsenal v Brighton (7.45pm)

Liverpool v Crystal Palace (7.45pm)

Swansea v Man City (7.45pm)

Wolves v Chelsea (7.45pm)

Newcastle United v Tottenham (8pm)

Official EFL announcement – Carabao Cup quarter-final draw confirmed – 28 October 2025:

‘Round Four of the Carabao Cup kicks off this evening with eight ties scheduled to take place across Tuesday, 28 and Wednesday, 29 October.

The draw for the Quarter-Final will take place live at the conclusion of Newcastle United’s Round Four tie against Tottenham Hotspur on Sky Sports Main Event on Wednesday, 29 October.

Sky Sports presenter Mark Chapman will host the draw at approximately 10:30 pm alongside pundits Jamie Redknapp and Jobi McAnuff.

Ball numbers for the draw will be finalised on the morning of Wednesday, 29 October and published on EFL channels.