The Carabao Cup quarter-final draw has set up a manageable test for reigning champions Newcastle United, who will host Fulham at St James’ Park in mid-December.
Newcastle, who won last season’s competition
by defeating Liverpool in the final, advanced to the last eight after a 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur.
Fulham, meanwhile, edged past League One side Wycombe Wanderers in a penalty shootout to book their place.
The QF match marks a rematch of last year’s semi-final, where the Magpies prevailed on aggregate.
Elsewhere, Arsenal will face Crystal Palace in an all-London tie at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners beat Brighton 2-0 to advance, while Palace earned an impressive 3-0 win away at Liverpool. That fixture is a repeat of last year’s quarter-final, which Arsenal won 3-2 after coming from behind.
The standout story from the draw comes from League One, where Cardiff City — the only team outside the Premier League still alive in the tournament — will host Chelsea. Cardiff defeated Wrexham 2-1 in the fourth round, while Chelsea overcame Wolves 4-3 in a thriller that saw Liam Delap sent off.
Completing the draw, Manchester City will welcome Brentford to the Etihad Stadium. The Bees produced a dominant 5-0 win over Grimsby Town, while City came from behind to defeat Swansea 3-1.
All quarter-final matches will take place in the week starting December 15, with the semi-finals scheduled for January and February before the final at Wembley on March 22.
