CARABAO CUP FOURTH ROUND
WEDNESDAY 29TH OCTOBER, 2025
(8pm)
NEWCASTLE UNITED 2(1) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 0(0)
Newcastle scorer(s):-
Schar, 24
Woltemade, 50
Attendance:- TBC
Referee:- Chris Kavanagh
Assistants:- Dan Cook and Richard West
Fourth Official:- Dean Whitestone
Teams:-
Newcastle (4-3-3):- 32. Ramsdale; 17. Krafth (sub 2. Trippier, 72), 12. Thiaw, 5. Schar, 33. Burn (Capt.); 28. Willock (sub 7. Joelinton, 71), 8. Tonali, 41. Ramsey (sub 39. Guimaraes, 80); 20. Elanga (sub 10. Gordon, 89), 27. Woltemade (sub 18. Osula, 71), 11. Barnes
Subs not used:- 1. Pope; 4. Botman; 23. Murphy, 67. Miley
Booked:- Thiaw (foul on Xavi), Schar (foul on Richarlison), Joelinton (skirmish with Kudus)
Spurs (4-2-3-1):- 31. Kinsky; 23. Pedro Porro (Capt.), 4. Danso, 6. Palhinha, 24. Spence; 30. Bentancur (sub 39. Kolo Muani, 65), 29. Sarr; 22. Johnson (sub 20. Kudus, 65), 15. Bergvall, 7. Xavi Simons; 9. Richarlison (sub 11. Tel, 78)
Subs not used:- 1. Vicario, 46. Gunter; 37. Van de Ven, 76. Rowswell; 52. Olusesi; 44. Scarlett
Booked:- Richarlison (dissent), Palhinha (dissent)
Carabao Cup holders inflict first away defeat upon Spurs
Newcastle v Spurs, 29.10.25
Thanks to Stuart Gibson for this image.
On top of all our known injuries, on the day of this game news emerged that Archie Gray had suffered a calf injury and will be out for 4 to 8 weeks. He had been expected to start today. Thomas Frank elected to leave his (arguably) three best players (Vicario, Van de Ven and Kudus) and to face Newcastle without ten recognised first teamers.
Edie Howe rang the changes for the home side, making eight changes to the team which had started Saturday's home win against Fulham. Whilst the stats indicate that Spurs edged possession and had more shots (on and off target) than the home side, Newcastle did look sharper with more fresh legs on the pitch to harry Spurs all the way.
Approaching 5,000 Spurs fans made the trip and were in good voice to urge on their team. Spurs argued about the first goal, but Kinsky's error led to Newcastle's second goal, while Spurs failed to make the best use of their opportunities with Richarlison in particular struggling to find the right touches.
Newcastle's reward is a home quarter-final against Fulham, whereas Spurs have freed up four potential fixture dates, including a free mid-week on the run-up to Christmas.
Frank made four changes from Sunday's starting side. Kinsky, Sarr, Bergvall and Richarlison replaced Vicario, Van de Ven, Kudus, and Kolo Muani. Joao Palhinha stood in at centre back for Van de Ven, which he has done previously. Pedro Porro wore the captain's armband, which he did against Doncaster. Spurs included a new name on the bench - 19-year-old defender James Roswell. Spurs wore their new bright yellow third strip for the first time this season.
Newcastle don't have a home domestic game until after the International break, so this game was preceded by an immaculately observed remembrance ceremony.
Spurs kicked off and played towards the Gallowgate End. There was danger in the Spurs box after only four minutes. Pedro Porro had fouled Harvey Barnes and after Tonali's free kick both Thiaw and Willock had shots blocked in the packed Spurs area.
Jacob Ramsey (signed in the summer from Aston Villa) threatened in the middle and Pedro Porro chased him and cleared before he could shoot. Richarlison had an effort from 25 yards after a Spurs break, but that was blocked by 24-year-old Malick Thiaw, signed in August from Milan.
After a flowing move and a final pass by Woltemade, Barnes' shot hit the side netting. Spurs responded with a decent move. Richarlison, then Xavi fed Johnson, playing on the right, but Johnson skewed what was intended as a cross, and also hit the side netting.
Palhinha defended well against Tonali at the expense of a corner. Another corner led to Newcastle's opening goal. Djed Spence had challenged Elanga, who had caught thee left-back's boot in the process. Spence did up his laces inside the 10-yard zone while Tonali waited to take the kick. Spence didn't exactly race back into the area and apparently it was his job to mark Fabian Schar who rose unchallenged to head past Kinsky.
Spurs obviously felt that Spence would have been given time to get into position, but it isn't in the rules and the goal stood, despite protests for which Richarlison was booked.
Spence, who over the course of the game was Spurs' most positive player with driving runs and some decent passes, over-hit a cross from the left on the half-hour. Spurs soon had their best chance yet after Johnson passed to Bergvall on his right. Bergvall crossed low, but Richarlison just could not reach the ball.
Kinsky had been mixing his clearances and one long throw to Bergvall looked promising, but Newcastle defended strongly. After a good run by Spence and a pass inside, Bentancur found Johnson to the right of the box, but again "Richie" could not make contact with the cross inside. This was a good spell for the away side.
A Pedro Porro cross was cleared and Danso advanced before hitting a shot that bounced before Ramsdale picked up. That was Spurs' first shot on target after 34 minutes.
Newcastle spurned an excellent chance when Tonali crossed from the left; Thiaw passed back across the area and Barnes' left foot shot passed just over Kinsky's bar. Palhinha got forward for Spurs and hit a good cross from the right of the box, but yet again Richarlison could not meet the ball. "Richie" finally had an attempt on target in added time. Pedro Porro's free kick was headed into the middle by Danso, but Richie's header was held by Ramsdale.
Bergvall and Xavi combined with the latter hitting a shot which might just have been tipped over by Ramsdale.
Newcastle kicked off the second half. Spurs were being forced backwards. Barnes crossed and Willock missed with his header going back across the goal when he should have scored. In truth, Spurs could have been two or three down already.
Newcastle scored their second in the 50th minute. Willock crossed from the left and Kinsky came off his line but failed to reach the ball. Woltemade headed over him into the net for his seventh Newcastle goal of the season.
Newcastle fans now taunted Spurs with "It's happened again." Their team certainly has the hex over us, having won six of our last seven competitive meetings.
Ramsdale was forced to punch away a Pedro Porro free kick and after Newcastle broke out of defence, Willock fired wide.
Spence hit a good ball to Johnson, who passed inside to Xavi. He teed up Pape Sarr, whose low shot forced Ramsdale's best save of the game, diving low to his left.
Substitutions followed with Kolo Muani replacing Bentancur and Kudus coming on for Johnson. Kudus was soon involved after Spence hit another long pass. Pedro Porro's cross was flicked towards goal by Richarlison but saved. Kudus and Xavi worked together, and Ramsdale patted away Xavi's cross.
Danso just escaped scoring an own goal when heading Elanga's cross just wide of Kinsky's left post. Richarlison headed straight to the goalkeeper after another Pedro Porro cross.
In the closing stages Kudus and Joelinton had a set-to following Joelinton's foul on the Spurs man. Referee Chris Kavanagh showed them both a yellow card. Kudus was then booed with every touch by the home crowd who wanted him sent off for a subsequent foul and a second yellow. The referee felt otherwise, and Kudus lives to fight for Spurs against Chelsea on Saturday tea-time. That will be another formidable challenge.
Chelsea beat Wolves 4-3 at Molineux and Liverpool's dismal form has continued with a 3-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace who have beaten "The Reds" twice in their recent run of defeats. I wish we could beat Chelsea and Liverpool for once in our coming games.
. Squad numbers,appearances,bookings & goalscorers
. Read the preview for this game.