We have arrived at the semi-final stage of the Carabao Cup, the first piece of major silverware on offer in English football’s domestic season.
The tournament has been dominated by Manchester City in recent years, with Pep Guardiola’s side winning on four consecutive occasions from 2018 to 2021, while Liverpool are the defending champions after beating Chelsea on penalties last year.
However, neither of those two teams remain in contention this year. Liverpool were knocked out when the two sides met at the Etihad in the fourth round on 22 December, with City winning 3-2.
City’s run was then ended one round later in the quarter-finals, with Southampton enjoying a shock 2-0 win at home despite their struggles in the Premier League.
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With four teams remaining, Manchester United are the bookmakers’ favourites to win the cup, with Erik ten Hag hoping to lift a trophy in his first season in charge at Old Trafford.
“It’s the best feeling you can have, winning a trophy,” the United boss said. “I had the luck in my career to win some trophies and it’s magnificent, especially for the fans.
“Now it is a period Manchester United didn’t win trophies and it is too long ago. We are aware of that fact and we have to do everything to bring a trophy in.”
United are five-time winners and last won this competition in 2017. They face Nottingham Forest, four-time winners themselves, in the semi-finals, with Forest playing in their first domestic cup semi-final since 1992.
The other semi-final sees Southampton, Carabao Cup runners-up in 2017, take on Newcastle, a team very much on their rise under Eddie Howe.
Newcastle are ahead of schedule on the pitch, given they are also third in the Premier League, and their place in the Carabao Cup semi-finals ends a run of 18 years without making this stage of a cup competition.
Naturally, Newcastle boss Howe wants more, saying: “We’re delighted to be where we are but the semi-final itself isn’t enough.
“Ultimately, you want to get one step further. I know the players feel the same way. Me and my coaching team feel passionately about it that we want to make the final, but we have to navigate these two games and they’re going to be very difficult.”
When is the Carabao Cup final?
The Carabao Cup final will take place at Wembley Stadium on Sunday 26 February.
The kick-off time is yet to be confirmed, but last year the showpiece between Liverpool and Chelsea started at 4.30pm UK time.
How to watch Carabao Cup final
The Carabao Cup final will be broadcast live on Sky Sports and available to stream on the Sky Go app and NOW.
Carabao Cup semi-final schedule
- 24 January: Southampton vs Newcastle (first leg)
- 25 January: Nottingham Forest vs Manchester United (first leg)
- 31 January: Newcastle vs Southampton (second leg)
- 1 February: Manchester United vs Nottingham Forest (second leg)
Can I get Carabao Cup tickets?
Carabao Cup final tickets will be sold by the two competing clubs, who will likely have loyalty schemes in place for fans looking to head to Wembley.
There is always a Club Wembley membership, which would guarantee a seat for the FA Cup semi-finals and final as well, but the cost is likely to price the majority of fans out.
Analysis: Newcastle’s on-pitch success is early
By Mark Douglas, i‘s northern football correspondent
At Newcastle United‘s training ground on the outskirts of the city centre, men in hard hats and hi-vis jackets mingle with the growing number of Eddie Howe‘s support staff.
A multi-million pound upgrade to facilities that one club insider acknowledged fairly recently are “low end Championship” was given the green light six months ago and the players recently moved into the expanded dressing rooms.
A state-of-the-art hydrotherapy centre opens in a few weeks and finally, the diggers will move on before the end of the season as work begins on sourcing a site to build an entirely new training ground in the coming years.
The sense is of a club building something much bigger, but there is another bit of symbolism at play: Newcastle’s meteoric rise has arrived at such a pace that the club has been unable to properly lay all the foundations for the journey they’re embarking on. They remain a work in progress, tantalisingly for those on Tyneside there is plenty more to come from owners with the deepest of pockets.
Read Mark’s full analysis here
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