Bryan Mbeumo of Brentford celebrates scoring his team's first goal
Bryan Mbeumo of Brentford celebrates scoring his team's first goal
Revenge is sweet served any way you like as far as I'm concerned because we owe Brentford one big time. Not just because they scored four against us t'other day and ripped three points from our grasp but because Newcastle made it so easy self destructing with mistake upon mistake.
Now comes our big chance with a Carabao Cup semi-final place on tempting offer in a competition Eddie Howe has enjoyed. Whereas originally our only league cup of note was back in 1976 when United made the final they have under steady Eddie made the Carabao Cup final in 2022-23, the quarters last season when only losing at Chelsea on penalties, and the quarters again now but with home advantage to press on.
Get the job done Wednesday night and a two-legged semi-final is ours in the weeks commencing January 6 and February 3. Yes the opposition is guaranteed to be top PL standard but over ties home and away anything can happen. Wembley would be within touching distance.
Sean Longstaff has joined Nick Pope and Callum Wilson on the missing list as he serves a one game ban following cautions against AFC Wimbledon and Chelsea in the competition.
Both Pope and his deputy Martin Dubravka missed out on Wembley a couple of seasons back of course _ Pope suspended and Dubravka cup-tied while on loan at Man U. It isn't the luckiest of tournaments for Nick. Still more could be to come even if both legs of his semi would be in doubt through injury. Wembley would be nice after last time but then it would be for long serving Martin as well. However let us not get ahead of ourselves.
Brentford admittedly are as poor away as they are devastating at home. If you require facts to prove United aren't facing the same opposition as a couple of matches back here it is: at home their PL record reads P8 W7 D1 L0 GF26 GA14 PTS22. Best in division. Whereas away it is P8 W0 D1 L7 GF6 GA16 PTS 1. Joint worst.
The danger of course is complacency, expectation, just turn up and an hour and a half later all is well. The Bees must find their sting away at some time just as they must taste defeat on their own midden. It is called the law of averages.
They have made it to the last eight by eliminating a trio of lower league opponents: a 1-0 win at Colchester United, 3-1 home success against Leyton Orient, and penalty shoot-out victory over Sheffield Wednesday following a 1-1 draw at the Gtech Stadium. Nothing too worrying there.
However a major problem can be summed up in two words: Bryan Mbeumo. Ask Lewis Hall who must rest a tad uneasy, admittedly along with others, after being teased by the man down in the smoke.
Maybe so but then our main attacker will frighten them _ Alexander Isak has placed himself amongst the modern greats at NUFC after his goal against Leicester. When you reside in the same building as Alan Shearer and Andy Cole then you are indeed the real deal.
That was Isak's 20th goal of 2024 leaving only Shearer (27 in 2002 and 22 in 1999) plus Cole (24 1994) ahead of him. With four matches still to be played before a new year dawns to add to that impressive tally we can indeed call him Alexander The Great!
At the other end of the scale the fascination of recent times for neutrals has been observing the discomfort of four high profile managers. Two may have found a chink of light with treasured victories at the weekend _ Eddie Howe of course but Ange Postcoglou as well.
Howe had been winless in his last four matches with only two victories in 11 league fixtures before Leicester obliged, and Ange had endured eight games with but a single victory before a visit to bottom club Southampton produced a slaughter.
For Pep Guardiola and Unai Emery however the PL hangover continues _ can you believe it for the supposed best coach in the world, the previously unbeatable Pep? A derby defeat for Man City's champions meant only one victory from 11 matches in all competitions (eight of them losses) while Aston Villa losing to Nottingham Forest stretched it to only three wins in their last 11 PL outings. Dearie me.
Nobody has an automatic right to be victors whatever their reputation but perhaps Howe who last season played in the Champions League where PSG were sensationally dismantled can walk on the sunny side of the street once again should he reach the semi-final of the league cup by the time sleep comes late on Wednesday night.