Howe hopes the Magpies can take a step closer to ending their long trophy drought

Eddie Howe is desperate his side can “achieve something special” and claim Newcastle’s first major silverware in 69 years in the EFL Cup this season.

The Magpies have not won a domestic trophy since the 1955 FA Cup but go into tomorrow night’s quarter-final clash with Brentford as favorites to secure a place in the last four.

Howe said: “That’s why we’re here. When I came to Newcastle I made it clear that this was what I wanted to achieve. In this sense, I speak on behalf of the players and the coaching staff.

“When you get to this part of the competition, it’s important to recognize that this is our goal and what we’re trying to do. These games have a lot of importance when you get to the later stages.

“We want to be a team that can cross the border and achieve something special. As you go through the competition, these rounds are very challenging and nothing will be taken for granted from our side.”

Eddie Howe spoke to the media beforehand #NEW tomorrow in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup 🗣️

You can follow today’s press conference live on Newcastle United’s official app 📲 pic.twitter.com/CnMcZI3JvY

— Newcastle United (@NUFC) December 17, 2024

Beaten by bees in the last meeting

Newcastle faced Brentford in the Premier League earlier in the month, losing 4-2 in north-west London, but bounced back at the weekend with a comprehensive 4-0 win over Leicester City.

Howe said: “It’s an interesting game to look back on. Brentford went to Chelsea and played a different system, but they don’t deviate too much from their principles.

“Ultimately, when you look back at the game, we weren’t where we needed to be in the defensive aspect of our game, which was strange for us given Liverpool’s performance. It was good to see us back to our best defensive position against Leicester, I think that will be a big thing for us as we back ourselves to score goals.”

Given their desperation to end their trophy drought, Newcastle are likely to go with a strong team tomorrow night.

“Every game is a cup final,” Howe said. “When you’re managing Newcastle you can’t afford to lose a game and every team I pick is certainly with that attitude – it’s always with that attitude that I think this team can win and I’ll certainly try to do that tomorrow. “