Newcastle take on the visitors Brentford in the quarterfinal match of English Football League Cup. The match will be played on Wednesday, December 18th at St. James' Park (Newcastle).
Newcastle United’s season is marked by inconsistency. The "Magpies" have experienced dramatic changes since their ownership shifted to Saudi investors. Eddie Howe was quickly appointed as manager and initially managed to avoid relegation for his new team. By 2023, he propelled Newcastle to a 4th-place finish, earning them a long-awaited return to the Champions League. However, their European campaign was a disappointment. Despite commendable performances and a tough group, they finished last, losing all their matches. In the Premier League, their form was mediocre for most of the season, but a late surge in the spring saw them climb to 7th place. Unfortunately, this was insufficient for European qualification, as Manchester United's cup victory denied them a Conference League spot. This season has been highly inconsistent, reflected in an even split of wins, draws, and losses. While they claimed victories against Chelsea in the League Cup and Arsenal and Nottingham Forest in the league during October and November, they went through a winless stretch thereafter. However, they secured a thrilling 3-3 draw with Liverpool and thrashed Leicester 4-0 in their latest outing.
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Brentford have exceeded expectations, even with the departure of Ivan Toney following his suspension and subsequent transfer to the Middle East. Last season, despite Toney's absence for much of the campaign, they comfortably avoided relegation. This summer, Brentford found replacements for the England striker, with Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa stepping up to deliver consistent goals. Under Thomas Frank’s guidance, Brentford has performed admirably, frequently winning tight matches. Their strong home form, including a notable 4-2 win against Newcastle, has helped them edge closer to European competition spots. However, their momentum took a slight hit last weekend with a narrow 1-2 loss to Chelsea.
Newcastle had dominated this fixture with five consecutive wins before Brentford turned the tables earlier this month, beating the "Magpies" 4-2 in London. Newcastle enters as the favorite, but given their patchy form, they may not press too hard for victory. A safer bet would be on "under 3.5 total goals" for this match.
Prediction for the match: Under 3.5 scored goals.
