January 2023 – Page 30

– The first legs of both semi-final encounters take place this week
– James Ward-Prowse has scored five goals in eight appearances since the World Cup
– Brennan Johnson grabbed a brace in his last home game for Nottingham Forest

Newcastle travel to Southampton on Tuesday evening, while Manchester United make the trip to Nottingham Forest.

Goals expected at St Mary’s

Southampton vs Newcastle (Tuesday, 8pm)

Bet 1: James Ward-Prowse to score anytime

James Ward-Prowse has been leading by example since the international break and at times seems to be on a one-man rescue mission for Southampton.

The attacking midfielder was understandably disappointed to miss out on the England squad for the World Cup but seems to have used that setback as motivation to spur himself on to an even higher level.

Having scored only twice in 16 matches before the international break, Ward-Prowse has now scored five goals in eight appearances since the return of domestic football.

The Southampton academy product will be desperate to bring silverware to his club and could help fire Saints to Wembley with his lethal set-pieces.

Bet 2: Over two goals in the match for both teams combined

These two teams have provided plenty of entertainment in their recent meetings, with Newcastle winning 4-1, 2-1 and 3-2 in the last four encounters and the other game in that run ending 2-2 at St James’ Park.

Saints have been on the wrong end of that sequence but will fancy their chances in the first leg of this semi-final clash after impressing in a 2-0 defeat of Manchester City 2-0 in the quarter-finals.

That match was one of three of the last four in which they have netted two goals.

Bet 3: Miguel Almiron to score anytime

Miguel Almiron is enduring a drought by this season’s lofty standards but remains Newcastle’s top scorer with nine goals and still offers plenty of attacking threat.

Eddie Howe’s 4-3-3 gets Almiron into plenty of dangerous positions on the right of the attacking three and he has racked up shot counts of three, three, two and one in his last four outings – as well as having the ball nicked off his toe in a dangerous position at Crystal Palace last weekend.

And while the Paraguayan has failed to score in his last five starts, the ball will start dropping for him sooner rather than later and it could happen against a Southampton side who offer too much space in their defence.

No free pass to the final for United

Nottingham Forest vs Manchester United (Wednesday, 8pm)

Bet 1: Nottingham Forest or Draw – Double Chance

Nottingham Forest have been hugely impressive since mid-October, losing only four of their last 16 matches to rise from bottom to 13th in the Premier League while forging a path into the final four of the Carabao Cup.

Admittedly, one of the defeats in that run was a 3-0 thumping at Old Trafford, but Steve Cooper will fancy his chances of gaining revenge back at the City Ground, where Forest are unbeaten in eight, including victories over Liverpool and Tottenham and a draw with Chelsea.

Manchester United arrive having had the stuffing knocked out of them last week, when a nine-match winning run was ended by a 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace and was followed by a deserved 3-2 defeat at Arsenal.

Erik ten Hag’s men might just be feeling a little sorry for themselves after seeing their league title hopes fade and a record of just two wins in their last six away games puts that largely home-based recent winning run into context.

Bet 2: Under three goals for both teams combined

After being overly ambitious on home soil in the early stages of the season and suffering for it, Forest’s fortunes have turned on Cooper’s decision to make them harder to beat.

Seven of Forest’s last eight home games have provided two goals or fewer and each of those matches have provided a win or a draw, so Cooper will again look to keep things tight.

Ten Hag will have to rotate as United have two games a week for the next five weeks and any lack of cohesion from those changes are likely to affect their attacking potency – particularly if in-form Marcus Rashford is among those rested.

Bet 3: Brennan Johnson to score anytime

Brennan Johnson’s terrific post-World Cup form was rewarded in his last home game, with the Welshman netting twice against Leicester, and he looks to be going from strength to strength.

His goal tally may not be hugely impressive but he is growing in importance to Forest’s attacking play, providing a goal – or goals – or an assist in three of his last four starts, while engineering a hugely impressive five shots against Bournemouth at the weekend.

He is emerging as the key threat in this Forest side and he could hurt a United defence that has kept just one clean sheet in their last eight domestic away games.

Julian Nagelsmann dismissed any suggestion that Thomas Muller’s omission against RB Leipzig hints that the forward’s Bayern Munich future is uncertain.

Muller came on in the 83rd minute as Bayern drew 1-1 with Leipzig on Friday.

The 33-year-old has struggled with injuries this season and has played only nine Bundesliga games.

Muller also failed to spark at the World Cup, as Germany crashed out in the group stage.

Nagelsmann, though, says the media has made too much of Muller being a substitute.

“With Thomas, this is a bigger topic in public than it is for us,” he told reporters ahead of Tuesday’s clash with Koln.

“When you’ve been injured for so long, you’re always challenging [for your place].

“Thomas also wants the competition. He has an outstanding character, but I haven’t made up my mind about if he plays.”

Muller could not get Bayern over the line against Leipzig, with the champions having struggled to create much in the way of opportunities in the second half at Red Bull Arena.

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting put them ahead late in the first half, netting Bayern’s 50th Bundesliga goal of the campaign, before Marcel Halstenberg equalised, but Nagelsmann wants more intensity in attack.

He said: “We didn’t build up optimally, it was too slow. We sometimes had good actions after winning the ball, but we made wrong decisions.

“I also warned the team beforehand about Leipzig’s strength in transition… There were one or two less-than-perfect situations on both sides.”

Koln, on the other hand, go into Tuesday’s game having thrashed Werder Bremen 7-1.

“I think the seven goals mean something more to Koln than to us,” Nagelsmann said. “They do that very well, they’re active and good at counter-pressing.

“[Coach] Steffen Baumgart does that very well. They always play with an open mind, very offensive. We have to be aggressive.”

Harry Kane is the only active striker in the Premier League’s top five goalscorers of all time.

The Tottenham assassin has been terrorising top-flight defences since his breakthrough season in 2014-15.

But despite maintaining an incredible strike rate and winning three Golden Boots, he still has a way to go to topple the current leader in the rankings, Alan Shearer.

We take a look at the Premier League’s five greatest goalscorers below.

5. Sergio Aguero (184 goals)

Sergio Aguero will forever be a legend in the blue half of Manchester after he scored one of the most iconic goals in English footballing history against QPR to seal the title on a dramatic final day in 2012.

Before heading to Barcelona, where a heart condition unfortunately forced an early retirement, Aguero managed 184 strikes in just 275 Premier League matches.

The Argentine won five league titles during his time at the Etihad and became City’s all-time leading goalscorer.

The diminutive forward holds the Premier League record for most hat-tricks, having netted 12, and is the only foreign player on this esteemed list.

4. Andy Cole (187 goals)

Andy Cole was no stranger to a bit of club-hopping and enjoyed goal-laden spells at the majority of his seven Premier League clubs.

In fact, if the ex-Manchester United and Newcastle hitman had been a regular penalty taker, he may even have snuck to the top of the pile.

Cole racked up 187 strikes across 414 top-flight appearances with the majority coming as he won five titles in eight seasons with the Red Devils.

3. Harry Kane (198 goals)

Kane has been the focal point of Tottenham’s attack for most of the last decade and has scored at least 15 goals in each of the last nine seasons.

But despite his exploits in the penalty area, he has not been able to lift any silverware with Spurs and is being linked with an exit.

Also his country’s joint-top scorer with 53 strikes, the No10 will surely move up this list unless he is tempted abroad.

2. Wayne Rooney (208 goals)

Wayne Rooney surpassed the great Bobby Charlton as United and England’s all-time leading goalscorer, although Kane is one away from eclipsing him for the Three Lions.

Across 491 appearances, the Old Trafford legend racked up 208 goals and 103 assists for Everton and the Red Devils.

A five-time Premier League champion, Rooney enjoyed a glittering career but is some way short of the leading marksman on this list.

1. Alan Shearer (260 goals)

You cannot mention Premier League goalscorers without bringing up the great Shearer.

A huge 52 strikes clear of the next name on the list, the English striker’s record will take some beating.

Scoring 260 times in 441 games over 14 seasons with Blackburn and Newcastle, it is a minor miracle that the No9 won just one title and four Player of the Month awards.

Shearer is the fastest player to hit a century in the Premier League — taking just 124 games — and remains the only player to hit more than 30 in multiple top-flight campaigns.

– Struggling Southampton have saved their best performances for the cup competitions
– Newcastle are aiming for the top four but will see a clear route to silverware
– Recommended bet: Over 2.5 goals

Southampton and Newcastle both have a rare opportunity to grab silverware in the Carabao Cup but their respective supporters may feel conflicted as to where their priorities should lie.

Whatever the status of English football’s secondary cup competition, to be one step from Wembley and not have that trophy your priority would be seen as odd in most circumstances.

However, Newcastle have an era-defining return to the Champions League within their grasp and, perhaps even more importantly, Southampton are in serious danger of ending their 11-season stay in the Premier League.

It will be an interesting test of priorities for both managers.

But with an upcoming FA Cup weekend off for the Magpies after their defeat to Sheffield Wednesday offering Eddie Howe a chance to rest his Newcastle players and Southampton head coach Nathan Jones an opportunity to rotate his squad against Blackpool, both may decide to go for broke in this Carabao Cup semi-final first leg.

Team news

Southampton full-backs Juan Larios and Tino Livramento remain out but centre-back Armel Bella-Kotchap has an outside chance of returning from a knee problem.

Attacker Theo Walcott and reserve goalkeeper Alex McCarthy each also have a chance of returning from their respective calf and ankle injuries.

Newcastle’s injury room has emptied in recent weeks and they have only three confirmed absentees for the trip to the south coast.

Right-back Emil Krafth is out for the season with an ACL injury and midfielder Jonjo Shelvey – who is unavailable anyway with a calf problem – is rumoured to be on his way to Turkish club Besiktas.

Left-back Matt Targett is managing a heel problem and is expected to be out for a few weeks.

The stats

Both of Southampton and Newcastle’s meetings in 2022 came at St Mary’s and both ended in victory for the Magpies – Howe’s men romped to a 4-1 win this season and won 2-1 on the south coast in March.

Prior to those two games, Southampton had scored twice at St James’ Park in each of their two meetings with Newcastle in 2021 – drawing 2-2 last season and losing 3-2 there in 2020-21.

Those four meetings over the past two years provided 17 goals at an average of 4.25 goals per game.

And Saints come into this match having found some form in the final third, netting twice in three of their last four outings, but remain porous, keeping just one clean sheet in their last 13 outings.

Prediction

It is always tricky to judge how a manager will prioritise the Carabao Cup and that is certainly the case when Champions League-chasing Newcastle head to relegation-threatened Southampton.

But the fact that an FA Cup weekend comes between the two legs of this tie increases the likelihood that Jones and Howe will go for it in the first game and can then reassess whether they should rotate in the return match, depending on the situation.

Therefore, this game feels like a free hit, with both managers able to send out their first team with the pressure of their respective Premier League missions released.

An inexperienced but talented Saints side have shown how dangerous they can be when the pressure is off, deservedly beating Manchester City 2-0 in the last round of the Carabao Cup and winning 2-1 at Crystal Palace in the FA Cup.

They are also in decent form, winning three of their last four matches, and should give high-flying Newcastle a good test, so adding ‘both teams to score’ to any Bet Builders looks a decent approach.

But the best bet between two teams who can play with the handbrake off and who have provided a series of high-scoring thrillers in recent meetings is to back over 2.5 goals – available at 21/20 with LiveScore Bet.

Premier League fans have been treated to thrilling encounters and tight affairs in equal measure on Matchday 21 so far.

Arsenal once again outlined their title credentials with an entertaining late win over Manchester United after Manchester City had breezed past Wolves.

West Ham secured a crucial 2-0 victory over relegation rivals Everton, while Aston Villa and Newcastle had their goalkeepers to thank as they kept clean sheets on the road at Southampton and Crystal Palace respectively.

Ahead of Fulham’s clash with Tottenham tonight, we pick out the five stars who shone brightest over the top-flight weekend.

Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa)

Villa have claimed an astonishing 16 points from 21 available since Unai Emery took charge last November but much of their latest win was down to the heroics of Emiliano Martinez between the sticks.

The South American stopper made five saves to thwart an in-form Saints side at St Mary’s, allowing Ollie Watkins to head home for a handy away win on the South Coast.

A goalkeeper oozing with confidence following his key role in Argentina’s World Cup triumph in Qatar, two eye-catching saves from Che Adams and Moussa Djenepo were not his only contributions.

Ex-Premier League midfielder Danny Murphy noted of Martinez’s display: “One aspect of his game that I think has definitely got better is his feet, using his feet more.

“He stays calm, exactly what you want. You need a certain type of personality to play out the box and take balls.

“One of the main reasons why they have won five of their last seven is because of their goalkeeper.”

Jarrod Bowen (West Ham)

West Ham have performed well below the levels of recent years but one of their key players came to the fore when they needed it the most.

Their crunch clash with Everton had all the makings of a relegation six-pointer and Jarrod Bowen’s brace ensured it was the Hammers who were celebrating at full-time as they climbed out of the relegation zone with a 2-0 win.

In a frantic end to the first half, the forward exhibited the poacher’s instinct that saw him score 18 goals last season by poking home the opener before arriving at the perfect time to rifle home Michail Antonio’s cross before the interval.

It rounded off a memorable few days for the England international, whose two goals were a fitting way to celebrate the news that his partner is expecting twins.

Nick Pope (Newcastle)

In a weekend featuring three 0-0 draws, it is fitting that another goalkeeper makes this list and Nick Pope showcased his pivotal role in Newcastle’s excellent season at Crystal Palace.

While the Magpies were unable to get themselves in front against Patrick Vieira’s men, their No1 ensured they did not leave Selhurst Park empty handed with a simply sensational save.

Some Eagles fans had already begun to celebrate when Jean-Philippe Mateta lined up a 72nd-minute effort inside the box but the England man pulled a hand out of nowhere to tip it over.

Made all the more impressive by the quiet night he had enjoyed prior to that moment, his league-high 12th clean sheet of the campaign was certainly well earned.

Erling Haaland (Manchester City)

It seems inconceivable that a striker with 25 goals in 19 Premier League games could be a reason for Manchester City’s struggles this season, but those were the accusations being thrown by some in Erling Haaland’s direction prior to their clash with Wolves.

The Norwegian hitman once again proved that if you give him the opportunities, he will finish them as his hat-trick saw off the West Midlands outfit.

In a 14-minute spell either side of half-time, Haaland headed home Kevin De Bruyne’s cross, dispatched a penalty before tucking away a Riyad Mahrez assist for his fourth treble of the season.

Pep Guardiola admitted he will have to adapt his tactics to suit his prolific No9’s outstanding qualities.

The Catalan boss said: “We know his quality. We cannot play a false nine with him and we have to adapt some movements.

“He has to get the balls delivered as much as possible. We have fantastic players around him but the first goal is because he is there and the delivery from Kevin is fantastic.”

Eddie Nketiah (Arsenal)

Eddie Nketiah has had to bide his time for a chance at Arsenal — but he now finds himself spearheading the Gunners’ charge to the title.

The popular 23-year-old made his mark in Gabriel Jesus’ absence as his two goals saw Mikel Arteta’s men restore their five-point lead at the top of the table with a thrilling 3-2 win over Manchester United.

He was in the perfect position to nod home a flowing Arsenal move to cancel out Marcus Rashford’s superb opener seven minutes earlier in the first half.

Bukayo Saka and Lisandro Martinez both netted to make it 2-2 before Nketiah came up trumps once again by directing Martin Odegaard’s effort past David de Gea in the 90th minute, sparking bedlam at the Emirates.

If the North Londoners are crowned champions in May, fans will certainly not forget the crucial contributions the Lewisham native has made along the way.

Pablo Barrios signed a new deal with Atletico Madrid running until 2028 and has been promoted to the senior squad.

The 19-year-old made his LaLiga debut off the bench in a 3-2 defeat to Cadiz in October before featuring in the final Champions League group-stage match against Porto just a few days later.

Since the mid-season pause for the World Cup, Barrios has made an impression in Diego Simeone’s side with goals in the Copa del Rey victories against Arenteiro and Real Oviedo.

The teenager earned a first LaLiga start in last month’s 2-0 victory over Elche and was named in the starting line-up for the 1-0 defeat to Barcelona on January 8.

In total, Barrios has featured in six of Atletico’s seven games across all competitions since the World Cup, four of which have come as a starter.

Barrios joined Atletico’s academy in 2018 from rivals Real Madrid.

Hugo Lloris’ time at Tottenham looks to be finally coming to an end.

The World Cup-winning goalkeeper, 36, is a modern-day legend in North London having racked up over 400 appearances for Spurs since his 2012 arrival.

However, the latest in a string of high-profile errors during a recent loss at Manchester City prompted scathing criticism from fans and pundits alike.

As Antonio Conte’s side prepare for a trip across the capital to face Fulham this evening, we take a closer look at Lloris’ situation and consider how things may be resolved in the coming months.

Spurs stalwart

Few players in this day and age spend over a decade with one club, but Lloris’ loyalty to Spurs has been an exception to the rule.

Captured from Lyon by Andre Villas-Boas in the summer of 2012, the Frenchman wasted little time wrestling the No1 jersey away from veteran stopper Brad Friedel and has not relinquished it since.

Though Lloris has always had the odd shaky moment in his locker, his commanding presence and immense shot-stopping ability over such an extended period of time will see him go down as one of the Premier League’s finest custodians.

Like many of Tottenham’s recent icons, however, his tenure is missing a trophy.

Lloris is a two-time League Cup runner-up, while he also played a pivotal role in his side’s memorable run to the 2018-19 Champions League final.

On the wane

Unfortunately for Lloris, time waits for no man and recent form suggests he will struggle to fulfil that quest for silverware in North London.

While Spurs’ current struggles stretch much further than their stopper, the statistics paint a damning picture of his performance between the sticks this season.

No other Premier League goalkeeper has made more than one direct error leading to an opposition goal this term — yet Lloris has made four.

Last Thursday at the Etihad, Riyad Mahrez’s low shot squirmed beyond him at his near post. Four days earlier, he had parried Bukayo Saka’s cross into his own net in the North London derby — a mistake that is not even counted by the direct error metric in question.

Add to that a howler in the reverse fixture with the Gunners, as well as clangers against Newcastle and Aston Villa, it is a record that makes for tough reading.

Lack of confidence

Veteran goalkeepers would not usually be expected to suffer from a crisis of confidence.

However, Lloris has admitted in recent days that a brutal schedule with both Spurs and France has taken its toll on him mentally and physically.

He explained: “From the beginning of September, we played every three days until the World Cup.

“Then when you finish the World Cup, for the players who reached the final, in one week’s time you have to go back to your club and again repeat every three or four days.

“So, it’s very difficult mentally but also physically to stay at your best. But that’s the demands of the competition this year.”

Lloris’ current deal in North London runs until the summer of 2024, meaning next season is set to be his last — should he even make it that far.

Assessing the alternatives

Spurs needed to sign a new stopper in the near future, so it may just be a case of simply speeding up the process.

Given how beneficial it has been for them to have long-term stability in their goalkeeping ranks, it would make sense to invest in a tried-and-tested Premier League stopper with age on their side.

One obvious name that springs to mind is Dean Henderson, with the 25-year-old Manchester United outcast once again shining as a loanee with Nottingham Forest.

England international Henderson has been influential in Forest’s run to the Carabao Cup semi-finals and is desperate for a permanent platform to prove himself after failing to usurp David de Gea at Old Trafford.

There could yet be another Three Lions stopper available this summer, too.

If Everton are unable to turn their terrible campaign around, a cut-price move for 28-year-old Jordan Pickford could prove to be an inspired piece of business.

Current favourite, though, is Brentford’s 27-year-old Spanish star David Raya, who would likely jump at the chance to test himself on the continental stage.

Turning it around

History tells us that Lloris’ bad patch is unlikely to last much longer and, while his best days are behind him, he is more than capable of seeing Spurs through until the summer.

Conte is set to stick with his No1 for tonight’s trip to Craven Cottage and all parties will be hoping he can come through the contest unscathed.

If he does suffer another tough evening, Fraser Forster is an experienced deputy who can hold the fort while the 145-cap international takes some time out of the spotlight.

Looking further ahead, Lloris deserves a proper send-off when his spell does eventually conclude.

Despite his occasional faults, Spurs fans are unlikely to see the same level of longevity from such a classy stopper again any time soon.

Antonio Conte is relaxed and content at Tottenham, shrugging off the suggestion he felt under pressure.

Spurs have lost their last two Premier League matches, going down 2-0 to Arsenal in the north London derby and 4-2 at Manchester City.

Those defeats have left Tottenham six points off the Champions League places, though they could close that gap by beating Fulham on Monday.

Conte has often bristled over Spurs’ transfer dealings, but he claimed he is not feeling any pressure at the club, though he hinted if Tottenham’s hierarchy are unhappy, then they must make a change.

“The club put pressure on me to make progress? I am here and you can see the club see every day my work, what I do with my staff and I have zero problem,” Conte said in a press conference.

“I have zero problem with this aspect. I am really, really relaxed about this aspect because I know my work here, but also I think on the pitch you can see my work every day and this is my last problem.

“I have zero, zero problems. If the club is happy, I’m happy. If the club is unhappy, I am sorry, it means that I am not so good for them.”

Spurs bolstered Conte’s squad ahead of the season but are yet to make any additions in January.

However, Chelsea, one of the teams who might well be challenging Spurs for a European spot this season, have spent big this month.

It was put to Conte that his old team’s huge expenditure is making it even harder to bring players to Tottenham, but the Italian reiterated his desire for someone above him at the club to discuss the transfer strategy.

“I don’t want to go into this situation because I have a lot of headaches,” he said.

“I think that at the end of the transfer market, probably the club will explain our transfer market, [like] I asked last time, our vision, the way that we are at this moment.

“I think it’ll be good also to have another person to explain to you, otherwise in this type of question the risk to cross a line is easy.

“Now we have to try to be focused, continue to improve, to continue to work.”

Additional issues have been caused at Spurs by their sporting director, Fabio Paratici, having been handed a long ban from Italian football.

Paratici has been punished due to Juventus’ financial irregularities during his time at the club.

The decision whether to expand his suspension across other leagues and competitions now lies with FIFA.

Stefano Pioli expressed confidence that his Milan side can respond against Lazio following a disappointing sequence of results.

The defending Serie A champions have endured back-to-back 2-2 draws in the league against Roma and Lecce to leave them 12 points behind leaders Napoli, albeit with a game in hand.

Pioli’s side also suffered a Coppa Italia defeat to Torino and lost the Supercoppa against rivals Inter in Saudi Arabia, resulting in a four-match winless streak in all competitions.

Milan are looking to return to winning ways on Tuesday when they travel to face Lazio, and Pioli is confident the team will respond in a positive manner.

“We have to face these moments, it will be another exam to overcome with humility and unity,” he said at a press conference.

“Criticism is there, because the performances have been below our possibilities and the expectations, which, being Milan, are very high, we have strong roots.

“There have been experiences with lightness and good humour, now we need compactness and the will to react. My players are not bad, they deserve my trust and respect.

“We needed to reset. The situations to improve are tactical, technical and mental. The most important aspect is the mental one.

“It’s good to remember how we managed to win last year in Rome, going through difficulties, but maintaining balance and focus until winning the game at the end.

“When you coach such a strong team, it’s normal that my expectations are also aimed at a maximum performance and result.

“From the missed victory against Roma to the derby, we had to do more. Now we have two options: either to continue feeling sorry for ourselves or to react. I’m sure it’s the latter.”

LiveScore Daily is here to deliver all the big talking points from the world of football throughout the day. Keep refreshing this page for the latest stories in bite-sized chunks.

Moving on up

Mason Mount believes Saturday’s goalless draw at Liverpool is proof Chelsea are heading in the right direction under Graham Potter.

Having beaten Crystal Palace 1-0 earlier this month to snap a disappointing run of results, the Blues headed to Anfield with renewed optimism.

And after watching new signing Mykhailo Mudryk make an impressive debut from the bench, Mount is confident the good times are set to return to Stamford Bridge.

The England midfielder, 24, said: “We played good football, we could have scored a few, so I think from where we’ve been recently this was a step in the right direction.

“It was a positive game for us and we’ll learn a lot from it as well.

“Anfield is a difficult place to go, one of the toughest places in the world to play, and we knew we had to be at the top of our game. I think for the majority of the game we were.

“Obviously a few times you’re going to be under pressure. Like the second half, at the beginning, we felt under pressure, but you have to deal with that and I think we’re confident in the way we wanted to play.

“We want to continue to keep getting better, that’s the goal for us. We don’t want to be in mid-table, we want to be at the top.

“I know that it’s been tough recently, but we’ll get through it and we’ll come out the other end and be even stronger for this moment. So we need to keep it up.”

Due to their early FA Cup exit, Chelsea will not be in action again until February 3 when they host Fulham at the Bridge.

Howe eyes silverware

Eddie Howe has told Newcastle that reaching the Carabao Cup semi-finals “isn’t enough”.

The Magpies travel to Southampton for the first leg tomorrow as they chase their first piece of domestic silverware in nearly 68 years.

And Howe, 45, is desperate to end the club’s long wait for a trophy. He said: “We’re delighted to be where we are but the semi-final itself isn’t enough, I don’t think it’s enough for anybody.

“To say you got to a semi-final is nothing. 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, they’re going to be very difficult.

“We’re desperate for the next step but we have to take our mind off that really and focus on the process and the job — and the job is to go to Southampton and perform.”

Old Trafford return

Old Trafford will host Manchester United’s Women’s Super League clash with West Ham on March 25.

Marc Skinner’s team currently sit top of the table after Rachel Williams’ 87th-minute winner secured three points at Reading yesterday.

And the United boss cannot wait to see his side back in action at the Theatre of Dreams. He said: “Our entire group of players and staff are extremely excited to perform in front of our incredible fans at Old Trafford for the second time this season.

“As the women’s game continues to grow, we are delighted that this great football club remains at the heart of it and offer another wonderful opportunity for fans — both old and new — to experience a Manchester United women’s game on the biggest stage.”