Newcastle United expect to break 46-year League Cup record against Crystal Palace

Newcastle are expecting to break their record home attendance for a League Cup match at St James’s Park with over 50,000 fans expected to attend the Wednesday night match. The Magpies’ current record home attendance in the competition is 49,902 which was set in a 3-1 semi-final win over Tottenham Hotspur in 1976.

Newcastle went on to lose 2-1 to Manchester City in the final at Wembley Stadium – it remains their only League Cup final appearance to date.

And head coach Eddie Howe welcomes playing back-to-back matches at St James’s Park ahead of the World Cup break.

“When you go into a cup draw you firstly want a home tie,” Howe admitted. “We're always so proud to play in front of our own supporters and I think when you have a quick turnaround, the three games in six days, the fact we've got the next two at home is big for us.”

Howe has also previously touched on the lure of playing evening matches at St James’s Park with his side hosting Palace tonight (7:45pm kick-off) before playing Chelsea on Saturday evening (5:30pm kick-off).

“I don't know how to describe it,” he said. “There's a different feeling with the night games, there is an even more, I have to pick my words carefully, an aggressive but positive feeling and I think we thrive off that aggression from the crowd and we want and crave that really because we want to show that energy and passion to win.”

Newcastle have already played Palace at St James’s Park this season and Howe is expecting a similar test to the goalless draw between the sides back in September.

“I don't think too much has changed since that game,” he said. “I think they are a very well coached team, they've slowly but surely changed the philosophy of playing.

"Now you see a team that consistently plays out from the back, they've got a clear method in their build-up, very good talented plates, very dangerous players in forward areas so I think Patrick has done a brilliant job and he continues to improve the team and we know it will be a tough game.”