Newcastle Advances in Carabao Cup with Late Willock Goal
Newcastle are into the Carabao Cup last 16, but they had to grind every inch of the way to get there.
At a snarling, impatient Den, Jaissle sent out a full-blooded side for this third‑round tie, intent on avoiding any hint of an upset. On paper, it looked routine. On the pitch, it was anything but.
Strong side, blunt edge
The 2025 winners bossed the ball from the off, pinning Millwall back for long stretches and dictating the tempo. Possession, though, meant little without punch. For an hour, Newcastle’s final-third play lacked any real incision, their attacks slowing just when they needed to quicken.
They managed only one shot on target in that opening spell. When it finally came, Filip Marschall swatted it away, the Millwall goalkeeper standing firm to beat out a vicious near-post drive from Joe Willock. It felt like a moment that summed up Newcastle’s night: neat approach work, no reward.
The longer the stalemate dragged on, the more restless the away end grew. The Premier League side had control, but Millwall had belief.
Millwall threaten the upset
That belief nearly exploded into a shock lead. With Newcastle stretched and Tino Livramento caught out, substitute Tairyk Arconte surged clear, driving straight at goal. His low, drilled effort had Martin Dúbravka beaten but not the frame of the goal, thudding back off the post and ricocheting to safety.
The Den roared. Newcastle wobbled.
There was fury too just before the interval. Fabian Schar appeared to have his shirt tugged by Caleb Taylor inside the box, prompting immediate appeals from the visitors. The referee waved them away, unmoved by the protests and leaving Newcastle to find another route, from open play, or face the roulette of a penalty shootout.
Willock breaks Millwall’s resistance
As the clock ticked into the final 10 minutes, the tie hung in that nervy space where every misplaced pass feels fatal. Newcastle needed someone to seize it.
Willock did.
On 81 minutes, Lewis Hall drove a low, precise cross into the area, fizzed with just enough pace to tempt and test. Willock reacted first, stealing half a yard and turning the ball home to finally shatter Millwall’s resistance.
The away end erupted in pure relief. One chance taken. One goal. One foot into the next round.
For Jaissle, it preserved an unbeaten start to the campaign. For Newcastle, it turned a long, anxious evening into a job done.
What comes next
Newcastle now pivot back to the Premier League, where Leeds United await and momentum suddenly matters a little more after this escape.
Millwall, left to rue Arconte’s brush with glory and a performance full of discipline, must reset quickly. Blackburn Rovers come to The Den next, and the edge they showed against top-flight opposition is exactly what their Championship climb will demand.
