Just over a week after Newcastle were thoroughly beaten by Brentford, leading Eddie Howe to question some of his players’ attitudes, the two teams are set to meet again.
Brentford will travel to St James’ Park for the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, a competition in which Howe has had some success during his time at Newcastle. In fact, he led the team to the final in 2023, though it ended in disappointment with a 2-0 loss to Manchester United.
Heading into this match, Howe faces pressure to turn things around. A defeat to Brentford, who have been much stronger at home than away, would be a major letdown, leaving Newcastle with just the FA Cup and Premier League to focus on. Considering their inconsistent league form and poor FA Cup record, it’s unlikely many would expect them to make significant progress in either competition.
With that in mind, Wednesday’s game is shaping up to be a pivotal one.
Notably, VAR will not be in use for this match. Any controversial refereeing decisions won’t have the option of being reviewed in Stockley Park.
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