Newcastle United will take on Wimbledon in a rearranged EFL Cup home clash. The winners of this contest will face Chelsea in the next round.
Newcastle United were allowed some rest last week when their away trip to AFC Wimbledon was postponed following excessive rains at the venue. Instead, the clash was rearranged as a home clash for the Magpies, who donated a sizeable sum to Wimbledon to help them repair the damaged pitch due to flooding.
While that was a good gesture from the Magpies, they surely won’t be as courteous on the pitch when the League Two side comes to St. James’ Park. Newcastle United will view this EFL Cup campaign as a chance to finally end their long-awaited trophy drought. They have reached the Final of this competition two times previously, including the 2022/23 edition, when they lost out to Manchester United in the ultimate game.
Eddie Howe will hopefully get a result on Tuesday, having come through a challenging home game against Manchester City at the weekend. The Magpies held their own against the Premier League champions to see out a 1-1 draw after Manchester City’s lead through Josko Gvardiol was cut short by an Anthony Gordon penalty in the second half.
Coming to a Premier League ground is always a tough proposition for any lower-league opposition, and that goes for AFC Wimbledon. In an ideal situation, Johnnie Jackson would have preferred this clash be played last week. But unusual circumstances dictated otherwise, as they now come to St James Park for a daunting fixture.
Heading into the third round of the EFL Cup, Wimbledon have already overcome Premier League opposition after beating Ipswich Town in the previous round on penalties. Hence, they have the experience, as they are also on a six-game unbeaten run heading to St. James’ Park, which includes five wins. Their priorities lie with winning the League Two title, but going deep in a cup competition will boost their season’s hopes.
Team News & Tactics
Newcastle United
Eddie Howe will use this clash as an opportunity to add minutes to the legs of fringe players, who have largely stayed on the sidelines behind the regular starters this season. While most of the squad players may not complain of a lack of game time, the manager may feel certain players need a rest.
Bruno Guimaraes could be one, while Sandro Tonali, who started at the weekend, might only get a place on the Newcastle bench. Joe Willock could come in for the Brazilian in midfield, while Sean Longstaff could partner him in a double-pivot setup.
Howe would love to rest his current first-choice defenders, Dan Burn and Fabian Schar. But he does not really have many options to replace them. Hence, he could rest Burn for Lloyd Kelly and let Emil Krafth come in at left-back, while Fabian Schar is likely to keep his place. Kieran Trippier could return to the bench in favour of Valentino Livramento at right-back, while Martin Dubravka could enter the frame between the sticks.
Newcastle United will continue to miss key star Alexander Isak due to a toe injury. Howe would also consider resting Anthony Gordon for this cup clash, meaning Miguel Almiron could come into the side, while Jacob Murphy might be the unusual choice to lead the line for the Magpies.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Dubravka; Livramento, Schar, Kelly, Krafth; Longstaff, Willock; Almiron, Joelinton, Barnes; Murphy
AFC Wimbledon
Manager Johnnie Jackson will want to add minutes into the legs of some of his critical stars, considering his Wimbledon side has missed some recent fixtures due to postponement due to their home ground conditions. As game time becomes imperative, the Wimbledon boss may field an unchanged lineup from their latest game, which was a draw against Bradford City on September 21.
Owen Goodman is hence expected to start in goal for the visitors, supported by a back three of Riley Harbottle, Joe Lewis, and Isaac Ogundere. James Tilley and Josh Neufville will keep their spots in the wing-back roles on either flank.
The midfield trio of Alistair Smith, James Ball, and Myles Hippolyte will be sanded between them. Jackson will rely on the prowess of Matty Stevens, who has two goals from eight games, while top scorer Omar Bugiel will partner him in a two-pronged attacking setup.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Goodman; Harbottle, Lewis, Ogundere; Neufville, Smith, Ball, Hippolyte, Tilley; Stevens, Bugiel
Key Stats
- Newcastle United have never won the EFL Cup in their history.
- Newcastle United have reached the final of the EFL Cup on two occasions.
- Newcastle United have been beaten just once this season in all competitions.
- Wimbledon beat the Premier League opposition in Ipswich Town in the previous round of the EFL Cup.
- Wimbledon have been unbeaten in their last six games across all competitions, winning five of those clashes.
Player to Watch
Miguel Almiron
Beyond the Premier League and cup competitions, Newcastle United have no other commitments, meaning they do not have the number of games some of their top-six rivals have. Hence, Eddie Howe is likely to stick with using his key stars as starters, while many fringe players will get less than expected game time in this campaign.
Almiron will suffer, and hence, it is imperative for the Paraguayan attacker to make the best of his opportunities when they come. This game against Wimbledon could be such a chance for the winger, who will want to get back into Howe’s plans. An upturn in form could directly result in an increase in minutes, even in the Premier League.
Prediction
Newcastle United 4-1 AFC Wimbledon
Wimbledon will come into the clash with some confidence, considering they have already tasted victory against another Premier League opponent, Ipswich Town. They are also in a good run of form, although their inability to play for a while could affect them when they visit Newcastle United.
It is difficult to see anything beyond a Newcastle United victory here, as Eddie Howe will use this game as a springboard to build momentum into his squad. The Magpies’ attackers are expected to score plenty of goals against the League Two side, while there are chances they might concede an odd goal owing to their weak defensive setup.