Newcastle 2 Chelsea 0 – Howe cracks the code as Maresca's changes fail

Newcastle United reached the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup after an impressive 2-0 win over Chelsea.

It was a hugely valuable win for Eddie Howe's side after they sit 12th in the Premier League table after five games without a win.

A goal from Alexander Isak in the 23rd minute gave the hosts the lead and three minutes later they doubled their lead when Axel Disasi shot the ball into his own net. The result means Newcastle have reached the last eight of the competition for the third consecutive year.

Chelsea, meanwhile, return to London in good shape after coach Enzo Maresca's changed lineup failed to impress.

Here, our writers analyze the game's key talking points.

The welcome return of beautiful chaos in Newcastle

As they say, it was much more like that. It was like a family reunion or the late return of an old friend.

Newcastle were angry again, lively again, full of energy again. They were aggressive and ruthless, pushing up and sowing panic around them. It was beautiful, bloody intensity.

That may sound like a strange definition of family, but it was the identity that Eddie Howe instilled in his team and that fans fell in love with.

That's what has been missing after a long summer of uncertainty and another poor transfer window, which has resulted in weakened confidence and heavy legs. Not quite right, not quite right.

Here the balance was significantly better. Newcastle didn't see much of the ball, but they gathered momentum and forced Chelsea into mistakes deep in their own territory.

The first goal was a brutalist masterpiece. Chelsea played out and Newcastle played hard, Joelinton put unbearable pressure on Renato Veiga, Sando Tonali slipped in and the ball broke for Isak to score.

Newcastle's players celebrate Isak's goal (Harriet Massey/Newcastle United via Getty Images)

The second half was opportunistic: Lewis Hall took a quick free-kick, Isak's cross was deflected in by Christopher Nkunku, Joe Willock headed the ball on and Axel Disasi flailed, unable to stop it from crossing the line.

The beautiful chaos was back.

George Caulkin

Jorgensen's humble audition

Enzo Maresca stressed ahead of this game that he had no plans to change his starting goalkeeper any time soon, but Robert Sanchez's declining approval ratings among Chelsea fans meant that Filip Jorgensen's first appearance against serious opposition would always be under scrutiny with particular interest.

It's hard to make a compelling argument that the 22-year-old's performance did enough to make Maresca reconsider his stance, even if he wasn't the main culprit in Chelsea's self-inflicted problems that catapulted Newcastle into crisis 2-0 lead.

Jorgensen had little chance with Alexander Isak's shot sneaking under him from close range after Benoit Badiashile had put Renato Veiga in terrible trouble and Sandro Tonali had pounced on the Portugal international's hurried pass. His tentative dive to head Callum Willock three minutes later looked poor, but he may have been put off by the proximity of Disasi, who was unable to get his feet out of the way in time to clear the danger.

But surrounding those two big moments, there were other signs that Jorgensen might not be the major improvement over Sanchez that many fans crave. A free kick with the left foot went straight out of bounds. Another pass landed right at the feet of Tonali after he suffered a bout of indecision on the ball.

Jorgensen reacts after conceding a goal (ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Jorgensen did manage to sell the slipping Anthony Gordon with a nerveless pullback almost on his own goal line, but that's not the kind of skill to allay fans' fears.

There is still a feeling that the demands of the Maresca system are at the root of their goalkeeping problems and that both Sanchez and Jorgensen are close to their limits within that system.

Liam Twomey

Howe finally finds the balance he longed for

At their best, teams are seamless, fluid and flowing, full of hidden relationships and partnerships where you can't see the connection.

At other times they are like puzzles; All the pieces are there, but it's hard to understand how they could fit together.

Newcastle have been more like the latter than the former this season, particularly in midfield, where Howe has good depth and quality – more so since Lewis Miley's return to fitness – but where the overall impact has been disjointed.

Howe watches from the sidelines (Harriet Massey/Newcastle United via Getty Images)

True, Chelsea were accommodating. A full team of substitutions didn't ensure fluidity, their play from the back was haphazard and their high possession favored the counter-attack, but Newcastle looked far more balanced.

With Bruno Guimaraes not used until the second half, Tonali played in central midfield and was far more involved. Willock was stationed on the left and with Joelinton moving in front of him, strength and ball-handling skills were present.

That meant Anthony Gordon, returning from a calf injury, moved to the right-hand side, and while it's not his favorite position, his attack down the flank was a constant threat.

It will have left Howe with a lot to think about; The best teams are not always made up of the best players.

George Caulkin

Maresca's rotation doesn't pay off

From the moment the team news was released, it was clear that Chelsea would have to succeed at St James' Park in a very different way than they did under Enzo Maresca.

The right side of this team was usually the engine of the attack with Noni Madueke holding on to his full-back, Cole Palmer choosing incisive passes from the right half-space and Malo Gusto pushing into midfield to increase possession completely changed and deeply unconvincing.

Axel Disasi has never looked anything but uncomfortable at right-back, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall lacks the raw speed or skill to be a reliable threat on the right wing. In them, no one played the traditional Palmer role, with Joao Felix more often leaning to the left as he tried to link up with Christopher Nkunku.

Disasi scores an own goal (Owen Humphreys/PA Images via Getty Images)

Chelsea's left flank had its moments, with Mykhailo Mudryk and Marc Cucurella both making precise attacks from good crossing positions, but it was only when Madueke replaced Dewsbury-Hall that Maresca's team managed to create a constant attacking threat for Newcastle, who responded with defensive substitutions defend their two-goal lead.

Maresca's decision to leave Palmer on the bench while his team tried to come back was a pretty strong signal about where the Carabao Cup sits on Chelsea's priority list. A far more balanced and dangerous side will face Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday and, based on these findings, that will absolutely be the case.

Liam Twomey

What did Eddie Howe say?

We will let you know after he speaks at the post-match press conference.

What did Enzo Maresca say?

We will let you know after he speaks at the post-match press conference.

What's next for Newcastle?

Saturday November 2nd: Arsenal (H), Premier League, 12:30 (GMT), 08:30 (ET)

What's next for Chelsea?

Sunday, November 3rd: Manchester United (A), Premier League, 16:30 (GMT), 12:30 (ET)

Recommended reading

(Top photo: Ed Sykes/Getty Images)