Inconsistent Newcastle and Spurs clash in the Carabao Cup, with both sides looking to fringe players amidst significant injury lists to advance to the quarter-finals.
Newcastle United will host Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup last-16, a clash FotMob reports as potentially premature for two clubs keenly eyeing the trophy. The preview highlights the inconsistent starts for both sides, noting that “neither Spurs or Newcastle have built much momentum this season.”
Spurs secured a 3-0 win against Everton but lacked impressiveness, while Newcastle “stuttered” to a 2-1 victory over Fulham, having failed to win, lose, or draw twice in a row in their opening nine league matches.
The Magpies hold a significant historical advantage in this fixture, having won five of the last six meetings, including two major routs in recent years.
The current competition presents a chance for both clubs to use a cup run as a “kick-start towards more sustained success,” especially since both ended significant trophy droughts in 2025 (Newcastle winning this competition, Spurs winning the Europa League).
Both managers are expected to rotate due to a hectic schedule and long injury lists, with the preview describing Spurs’ list as “not that far off a full team’s worth of players.” Spurs will miss key players like Cristian Romero, James Maddison, and Dejan Kulusevski.
For both teams, this provides “a perfect opportunity for players who have been on the fringes of a regular first-team place to demonstrate their value,” with Anthony Elanga (Newcastle) and Wilson Odobert (Spurs)—both yet to register a goal or assist this season—named as players who could feature.
Ultimately, FotMob concludes that the result hinges on small factors, predicting: “Home advantage may be the key difference between two teams who’ve not found much consistency so far this season.”
Given Newcastle’s superior recent head-to-head record and the challenging journey north for Spurs, the final prediction is a narrow win for the holders: “I’ll go for Newcastle to get home 2-1.”