Newcastle United handed home tie against Premier League opposition in Carabao Cup quarter-final

Newcastle United will have to overcome Premier League rivals Leicester City if they are to reach the Carabao Cup semi-finals for the first time since 1976.

The two sides are set to meet as they return to league action at the Foxes’ King Power Stadium on Boxing Day and they will face a quick reunion when they meet in the last eight of the cup just over two weeks later. Newcastle secured their place in Thursday night’s draw with a narrow home win against Bournemouth on the same night former Magpies striker Ayoze Perez netted in Leicester’s 3-0 win at Milton Keynes Dons.

Surprisingly, the two sides have only met once in the 62-year history of the competition as the Foxes inflicted a penalty shoot-out defeat on a Magpies side managed by Steve Bruce in a second round tie on Tyneside in August 2019. However, it was Newcastle that came out on top in the last St James Park clash as a late Bruno Guimaraes header gave Eddie Howe’s men a 2-1 win in April this year.

But the Magpies will go into the tie looking to end a run of the seven successive quarter-final defeats they have suffered since Gordon Lee’s United overcame Notts County on their way to the club’s one and only appearance in the final in 1976.

Carabao Cup quarter-final draw in full: Manchester United v Charlton Athletic, Southampton v Manchester City, Nottingham Forest v Wolverhampton Wanderers, Newcastle United v Leicester City

All quarter-final ties will take place in the week commencing Monday 9th January.