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While it is customary for fans of top-flight clubs with delusions of grandeur to cope with Fizzy Cup exits by pretending the competition is beneath them, this is no longer an option that is open to supporters of Newcastle United. Winning the trophy sponsored by a low-calorie, fruit-flavoured energy drink brand from Thailand may only rank fifth in the domestic pecking order behind the Premier League, FA Cup and both transfer windows, but nobody will ever forget how much it meant to hundreds of thousands of overjoyed Geordies when their team did exactly that the season before last to end a trophy drought dating back to the Jurassic era. And with a quarter-final trip to the tough-tackling League Two bullyboys of Fleetwood up for grabs during their match against serial trophy-dodgers Everton last night, the travelling Toon Army must have fancied their chances of being in the shake-up again.

I clearly remember the first time I laughed out hard and loud, as a 12-year-old, reading Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K Jerome. Tonight, 50 years later, after a stretch of horrendous bad years and months (and for my mental health, I exclude the struggles of Tottenham), I read the Football Daily column. Its is often quite witty, but this time, reading about some penalty kick gone awry … I know, I have a simplistic sense of humour, but I laughed so hard and cried at the same time, that my family wondered what happened. Thanks for a cathartic experience. Words” – L Json.

As a Spurs supporter who saw my first game at White Hart Lane when I was five years old – almost eight decades ago – I can only express my relief that attention has drifted away from the continual ridicule of my team. The fact that a certain club that should return to south of the Thames managed to lose at Highbury (ironically), that lot from down Kings Road and Manchester United are all hogging the headlines for all the wrong reasons just makes life sweeter. It’s time for my second nap of the day now, so I’ll sign off” – Stewart McGuinness.

This is an extract from our daily football email … Football Daily. To get the full version, just visit this page and follow the instructions. 

⚽ News and previews heading into the weekend’s action
⚽ Premier League: 10 things to look out for | Mail Andy

Dejan Kulusevski returned to competitive action for Tottenham after a 17-month injury layoff to play the last few minutes in the club’s 3-1 home victory against Coventry last week and followed that up with another substitute appearance in Saturday’s win at Chelsea.

Kulusevski had multiple setbacks after knee surgery in May 2025. But a second procedure in March finally set him on the road to recovery.

The biggest night in Everton’s season started with a big call from David Moyes and demanded a big performance from his players. With the exception of Jack Grealish, they did not let him down. A quarter-final at Fleetwood Town is their prize after a clinical, committed display shattered Newcastle’s hopes of lifting the Carabao Cup for a second time in three seasons.

Newcastle dominated spells of the fourth round tie and the stats – registering 28 shots to Everton’s 11, although only nine visiting attempts were on target – but individual defensive errors and an ineffective attack proved a ruinous combination. Matthias Jaissle denied his team are a soft touch, despite persuasive evidence to the contrary, yet called Newcastle “naive” and the defeat, in front of almost 8,000 of their fans, “shocking”. Andy Burnham was among the many Evertonians in attendance grateful for Newcastle’s generosity.

⚽ Everton dispatch the 2025 winners without too much fuss
⚽ Grealish misses last-16 tie over ‘breach of discipline’

2 min: Dewsbury-Hall shoots. Deflected. Nothing comes of the corner. Everton are playing in blue, Newcastle a pinky purple.

The match begins. Sky’s red-button treatment of this game, squirrelled away deep in its planner, is little short of a disgrace.

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Football Daily isn’t suggesting standards at Chelsea have slipped in recent years, but the quality of their players who miss penalties in shootouts against Liverpool certainly appears to be on the slide. Before last night, footballing royalty such as Arjen Robben, Geremi, Tammy Abraham, César Azpilicueta, Mason Mount and even goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga had all missed from the spot in four consecutive post-match deciders against Liverpool across 19 years and four different competitions. On Wednesday, a flame-haired Argentinian irritant, a striker we’d never previously heard of before yesterday and a defensive liability whose boots increasingly look to have been welded on to the wrong feet each added their names to the roll of shame. Valentín Barco, Emanuel Emegha and Wesley Fofana, take a collective bow.

The reaction when Fleetwood made the final penalty was the best example I’ve ever seen of pandemonium! – Jim Geissman

A few random thoughts from one of the Wednesday fans who saw Harry Kane’s first goal at Orient (Tuesday’s Football Daily). Main after match conversation topics were how we’d shipped four goals in the second half, our new signing Gary Madine, and those people on the balconies of the new flats who watched the game for free. Without cameras I’d have no recall of Harry Kane’s goal but funnily enough I do genuinely remember Dean Cox having a very good game. We’ve talked about it loads since, but I don’t think any of us at the time thought Kane stood out in that game. Which just goes to show. A thoroughly deserved award for a career of consistent & often under-appreciated excellence. And what a superb motto: “Work in silence. Let success be your voice” – Alan.

This is an extract from our daily football email … Football Daily. To get the full version, just visit this page and follow the instructions. 

The Friedkin Group want to sell and squad investment has dried up but Carabao Cup is still an opportunity for silverware

A European challenge plus a concerted effort to end a trophy drought that will soon stretch into a 32nd year were Everton’s stated aims for this season, although that was before the club’s owners turned the taps off in the transfer market and announced they were looking to sell up. An abrupt change of direction and ambition from The Friedkin Group (TFG) has not altered the demands on David Moyes, however. It is as you were for the Everton manager, regardless of the tools at his disposal.

Newcastle’s visit to Hill Dickinson Stadium in the Carabao Cup fourth round on Thursday – when they will be backed by 7,732 fans after Everton allocated their opponents 15% of the ground – is timely on several counts. It is, first and foremost, an opportunity for Moyes’s team to advance in a competition that Everton have never won and edge closer to realising one stated aim for the campaign. It is also a chance to restore positivity after consecutive defeats against Chelsea and Arsenal, Everton’s only losses of the season.

Chelsea must have been resigned to their fate as soon as the shootout arrived at Anfield. Four times they had faced Liverpool on penalties previously and four times they had lost. Number five was confirmed when Wesley Fofana’s wild effort sailed high into the Kop and sent Andoni Iraola’s side into a Carabao Cup quarter-final against his old club Bournemouth.

Fofana was not the only culprit as Chelsea’s catalogue of penalty misery against Liverpool gained a new chapter alongside the 2007 Champions League semi-final, the 2019 Uefa Super Cup final and the FA and League Cup finals of 2022.

⚽ Latest updates from Anfield, 8pm (GMT) kick-off
⚽ Live scores | Football Daily | And email Scott here

Basque pals Andoni and Xabi embrace warmly … but so much for friendship, because Chelsea turn Liverpool around, so the home side are kicking towards the Kop in this first half. They’re not huge fans of that. They kick off.

The teams are out! Liverpool in red, Chelsea in blue. These lads always look good when they play each other. We’ll be off in a couple of minutes!

Teenager was maybe harshly sent off in the Carabao Cup tie but his reaction was a mistake he will learn from, while his manager might also have regrets

Mikel Arteta’s reaction said it all. As Max Dowman trudged towards the touchline after becoming the youngest player sent off in a League Cup match at 16 years and 300 days, the Arsenal manager could not help himself.

Arms folded across his chest like an angry father who has caught his teenage son sneaking in after midnight, Arteta leaned over and aimed a few choice words in Dowman’s direction before the forward headed sheepishly down the tunnel. What he said remains unknown, although that hasn’t stopped the amateur lip-readers speculating on social media. “Get in the changing room. Now,” appears the most likely guess.