Eddie Howe has encouraged his Newcastle United side to "go one better" than last season and win the EFL Cup after easing to a 3-0 victory over holders Manchester United in the fourth round on Wednesday.
The Magpies suffered heartache in the 2022-23 EFL Cup final, losing 2-0 to Man United at Wembley Stadium, but they got their revenge in emphatic fashion at Old Trafford, despite Howe making eight changes to his starting lineup that included five full-backs and no natural centre-forward.
Miguel Almiron replaced the injured Matt Targett inside the first five minutes before putting Newcastle in front just before the half-hour mark, poking a shot beyond Andre Onana following a brilliant 60-yard run from Valentino Livramento.
Lewis Hall then scored his first goal for the Magpies since joining the club in the summer, directing a well-struck volley into the bottom-right corner nine minutes before half time.
Joe Willock added a fabulous third midway through the second half, curling a powerful shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the area to condemn Man United to another disappointing defeat and send Newcastle through to the last eight where they will face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in mid-December.
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Discussing the performance and result after the match, Howe praised the "mentality" of his players to bounce back from recent setbacks against Borussia Dortmund and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Speaking to Sky Sports, the Magpies boss said: "It was a very good performance from us. The mentality was brilliant.
"We had injuries and picked one up early. It was a great response. Without the players committing to what we want, we've got no chance. This is a really tough place to come to score the goals we did at the time we did."
"I don't think there are any easy games in the quarter-finals. We hope to go one better than last season," Howe added.
"You can't go too far away. We return to the Premier League with Arsenal. I know we have a tough schedule ahead and we look forward to it."
Meanwhile, Sean Longstaff expressed his delight after captaining boyhood side Newcastle on his 150th appearance for the club, and he praised the Magpies' collective performance in the win at Old Trafford.
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"It's a special night for everyone", said the midfielder. "Lewis Hall, young lad at full-back I thought he was outstanding. The manager gives us a gameplan every week, there's a reason he's so good. We've got good depth in the squad. Everyone was terrific tonight.
"[Winning the EFL Cup is] the goal. We want to try and get as far as we can in every competition. We haven't won a trophy in a long time. Hopefully, we get a nice draw in the next round."
Livramento, who has received back-to-back Man of the Match awards in the EFL Cup third and fourth rounds, added: "It was a very good night for everyone involved. The new players came into the starting lineup and they took the opportunity.
"When I played away [at Newcastle] when I was at Southampton, I thought the fans were amazing. Hearing them chant your name makes you want to run harder.
"It's something that the coaching staff push us to everyday. We've got the mentality to never want to concede."
Newcastle will now turn their attention back to the Premier League with a showdown against Arsenal at St James' Park on Saturday.
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