00:00Six months on from their historic triumph at Wembley, Carabao Cup holders Newcastle United
00:06return to the competition with a win, defeating Bradford City by four goals to one in the third round.
00:12It was actually the League One tabletoppers who made the strongest start in the game.
00:16They forced Newcastle goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale into an early stop where he had to push the ball just past the post
00:22from Bobby Poynton's deflected effort, but then Newcastle hit their stride and hit Bradford with two sucker punches.
00:28They scored goal number one and goal number two within just two minutes of each other, just after the quarter-hour mark.
00:34After that, the Magpies never really looked back. They dominated possession for the rest of the half.
00:39They had a number of other chances in the first half and in the second half to extend their lead, which they eventually did, making it 3-0.
00:47Bradford, though, got their fairytale moment when Andy Cook managed to rifle the ball home in off the crossbar,
00:52but Newcastle soon restored their three-goal lead towards the end of the game.
00:56Newcastle then go on into the next round, whereas Bradford, of course, are now out,
01:00but they'll look back at this night with a lot of affection and fondness, given what they managed to do.
01:06Let's go back through the evening then to see exactly how the two sides got on.
01:11Bradford did indeed enjoy some possession of the ball in Newcastle's half in the opening minutes of the match,
01:17but this privilege did not last long when Joe Linton found space in the box
01:23and slotted calmly past Sam Walker in the Bradford net to open the scoring.
01:27And soon it was, too, when Winnie Masula, who was played through by Bruno Guburayesh,
01:33stroked the ball home past the despairing Walker.
01:36Newcastle continued to pepper Bradford's net until the end of the first half
01:41and into the second half as well, until eventually it was 3-0 with Joe Linton getting his second of the game.
01:49Perhaps the moment of the night, though, came in the 79th minute
01:53when boyhood Newcastle United fan Andy Cook, playing for Bradford City,
01:57saw his shot go in off the crossbar and past Aaron Ramsdale.
02:01Newcastle, though, were quick to restore their three-goal lead
02:04when Winnie Masula got his second of the night.
02:07We wanted to win today.
02:09We wanted to score, try and entertain everybody that came tonight.
02:16I thought we did that.
02:17I think it was always going to be a difficult game.
02:20No-one makes anything easy for you.
02:22Bradford, top of the league and full of confidence,
02:24so we needed an element of patience in our performance.
02:27But once we got into our groove, we were very good today.
02:31Eddie, how significant is it that you're now at a stage
02:34where you've made a number of changes from the Bournemouth game,
02:36but you've still been able to name a strong side?
02:38Is that really highlighting the depth you're building at the club?
02:41Yeah, I think we're going to need it this year.
02:43I mean, the games don't stop Arsenal and then back into the Champions League
02:48and then back into the Premier League again.
02:49So we know the schedule is relentless,
02:51and that's why when I get a chance to rest a couple of players,
02:56I think it's really important we do.
02:57So then when hopefully they come back into the team,
02:59they're able to form at their very best.
03:01And I thought we saw a bounce effect from those guys
03:03that were rested in the last game to tonight.
03:05And just on that, obviously, you mentioned that you're playing
03:07on a lot of fronts this season,
03:10but you are defending champions in this competition,
03:11so I presume it's still a competition you're taking very seriously.
03:14Yeah, we're taking them all seriously.
03:17I don't think there's any other way you can approach any game
03:20when you're representing this club.
03:21Yeah, we learned what a Champions League team looks like up close.
03:25So I think it was obviously a really tough test for the players,
03:29for us all, to be honest.
03:31But the biggest thing is holding our heads high,
03:34making sure we commit to the game, which we did.
03:38But we come up against a top opponent,
03:40and they punished us with real quality.
03:43But the players kept in the game, stayed in it,
03:45scored a fantastic goal,
03:47gave our supporters something to cheer about.
03:48But, yeah, I think for players,
03:52understanding the levels that are in the game,
03:55I think it's important.
03:56But we also understand that we're not going to face Newcastle every week,
03:59so we're not going to be despondent.
04:00I think it was a great game for us
04:02and a great reward for what we'd already done in the Cup,
04:04being two Championship clubs away from home.
04:07So it's been, I think, a productive run for us.
04:10But our most important game this week was always going to be Saturday,
04:13and that's still in front of us.
04:15Bradford City will certainly take a lot from this game.
04:18Manager Graeme Alexander was keen to point out
04:20how beneficial it was for his side to come up
04:22against a Champions League outfit like Newcastle United.
04:25And from the Magpies' perspective, well,
04:28they'll take on Tottenham Hotspur here at St James' Park
04:30in the next round of this competition,
04:32which, of course, they are the defending champions in.
04:35And that's not a title they'll want to let go of very easily,
04:38despite all of the fronts they're competing on
04:40during this season.
Comments