Fleetwood Town to face Everton or Newcastle in Carabao Cup quarter-finals

Fleetwood Town will face either Everton or Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, according to BBC News ^[1]. The League Two side, who are the lowest-ranked team remaining in the competition, secured their place in the last eight after a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Premier League champions Arsenal on Tuesday.

The specific opponent remains undecided as the final fourth-round tie between Everton and Newcastle is scheduled for Thursday at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, as reported by Mirror ^[2]. The Guardian noted that this fixture presents a rare opportunity for a trophy drought to end, with Everton last lifting silverware in 1995 and Newcastle having won the 2025 League Cup ^[3]. Whoever emerges victorious will travel to Highbury to meet Fleetwood in the next round.

In other quarter-final news, holders Manchester City will host League One side Bradford City at the Etihad Stadium, following Bradford's own penalty shootout win against Brighton ^[1]. The remaining two ties are all-Premier League affairs: Liverpool, who also required penalties to see off Chelsea, will welcome Bournemouth to Anfield, while Crystal Palace face Sunderland at Selhurst Park.

The quarter-final matches are set to take place during the week commencing 14 December ^[1]. For Fleetwood, the journey has already been historic, marking a stark contrast to the usual expectations for clubs from the fourth tier of English football. Their path to potential glory now hinges on the outcome of the high-stakes battle between two of England's grandest old clubs.

As the draw concludes, attention shifts to whether Newcastle can maintain their recent success or if Everton can ignite a long-awaited revival. The winner of this tie will carry the weight of their club's history into a meeting with the resilient underdogs from Fleetwood.