League Two Fleetwood Town will face Everton or Newcastle United at Highbury in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup, keeping their dream run alive after one of the great cup shocks. The lowest-ranked side left in the competition have already made history — and now they get another home tie against Premier League opposition.
Fleetwood Town vs Everton or Newcastle in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals will be played at Highbury, with the tie set for the week commencing 14 December.
Fleetwood Town (Credits: BBC Sport)
Fleetwood’s Historic Run to the Carabao Cup Quarter-Finals
Fleetwood had never gone past the third round before this season, which puts their run into perspective. They are not just enjoying a good cup campaign — they are already further than the club has ever been, and every round from here is uncharted territory.
That history was made on Tuesday, when they stunned Premier League champions Arsenal on penalties. Beating the champions, at any stage, is a result that lives forever in a club’s folklore, and doing it to reach a first-ever quarter-final makes it even more special.
The reward is a home draw, which matters enormously for a League Two club. Highbury will be rocking again, and whoever emerges from the Everton vs Newcastle tie will know they are walking into a cauldron — against a side with nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Everton vs Newcastle Decides Fleetwood’s Opponents
Fleetwood will have to wait to find out their next opponents, with Everton hosting Newcastle at Hill Dickinson Stadium in the final match of the fourth round on Thursday. The winner of that tie travels to Highbury, so Fleetwood’s players and fans will be watching Thursday night with keen interest.
Either opponent brings a different kind of challenge. Everton and Newcastle are both established Premier League sides with far greater resources, but both would also arrive as heavy favourites — the exact position Arsenal found themselves in, and we all know how that ended.
Full Carabao Cup Quarter-Final Draw
Elsewhere in the draw, holders Manchester City will host the only other non-Premier League side, League One Bradford City, at Etihad Stadium, after Bradford needed penalties to get past Brighton in the last 16. That keeps alive the prospect of another giant-killing, or at least another lower-league side testing themselves against the holders.
The other two fixtures will be all-Premier League affairs, with Liverpool, who also required a penalty shootout to beat Chelsea, hosting Bournemouth, and Crystal Palace taking on Sunderland at Selhurst Park.
Quarter-final fixtures will take place in the week commencing 14 December, giving Fleetwood and the other seven clubs plenty of time to dream — and, for Fleetwood, to prepare for another unforgettable night at Highbury.
Also Read: ‘Biggest Night in the Club’s History’ for Fearless Fleetwood After Arsenal Cup Shock | Where Does Fleetwood Beating Arsenal Rank in Biggest Cup Upsets?
Source: BBC Sport — read the full story there.