Chelsea to face Newcastle in League Cup quarter-finals

Chelsea host Newcastle, while West Ham visit Liverpool in the League Cup quarter-final draw.

Newcastle reached the final last season, but lost 0-2 to Man Utd. Eddie Howe's team avenged that debt by beating the "Red Devils" 3-0 to reach the quarter-finals. Newcastle finished fourth in the Premier League last season, the highest of all the teams in this round, and are hungry for a title after the club was transformed by investment from Saudi Arabia.

Newcastle are hungry for titles after transforming under Eddie Howe. Photo: Reuters — Newcastle are hungry for titles after transforming under Eddie Howe. Photo: *Reuters*

To get closer to the title, Newcastle need to overcome the challenge at Chelsea, a team that has not found stability under Mauricio Pochettino. Chelsea have been struggling since last season, finishing 12th in the Premier League and have yet to escape the crisis with 11th place after the first 10 rounds of this season.

In the fourth round, Pochettino's men beat Championship side Blackburn Rovers 2-0. The victory is hardly a measure of Chelsea's strength, but it helped them recover from their 2-0 defeat to Brentford. Newcastle have shown their strength in big games, beating PSG 4-1 in the Champions League this season. But Chelsea can hope to cause a surprise thanks to home advantage.

Another notable match will be between West Ham and Liverpool, two teams in the top half of the Premier League table. This promises to be an attacking feast as both teams possess strikers in high form. However, Liverpool are slightly better in this match and if David Moyes fails to overcome the weakness in defense, West Ham could suffer a heavy defeat like the 1-4 defeat to Aston Villa on October 22.

In the fourth round, West Ham caused a surprise when they defeated their city rivals Arsenal 3-1. Last season, the "Hammers" ended their 58-year wait for a continental title when they defeated Fiorentina to win the Europa Conference League. That victory will inspire them to aim for other titles this year. Meanwhile, with the changes this season, Liverpool are hoping to regain their position in English football.

Liverpool's cross-town rivals Everton will face Fulham in another Premier League quarter-final. The clash is expected to be evenly matched as the two sides are currently 14th and 15th in the Premier League, with Everton having home advantage.

The other quarter-final is between Championship side Middlesbrough and Championship side Port Vale, the lowest-ranked club to reach the quarter-finals this year. Port Vale will be hoping home advantage can help them seal a fairytale win.

Matches in the quarter-finals of the 2023-2024 Federation Cup

Everton - Fulham

Chelsea - Newcastle

Port Vale - Middlesbrough

Liverpool - West Ham

Vinh San

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