⚽️ Newcastle United Puts Manchester City Out of the Carabao Cup

Good morning. The Carabao Cup is definitely the least regarded trophy of the “quadruple.” The ranking goes like this: Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup. Manchester City won all but the FA Cup last season, and as recently as this week there was speculation about City winning all four this year. Newcastle United ended that speculation yesterday.

In the email today: 🏆️ 🇸🇦 

It was just another Wednesday night match in a lesser cup tournament, but Newcastle 1-0 Manchester City showed that the treble winners of last season can be had on any given night. The result has no bearing on the Premier League standings. Still, if Newcastle can take the champions down, the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur must be thinking that City’s armor isn’t as impenetrable as it was last season.

• Eddie Howe's Newcastle team, with the introduction of Bruno Guimarães and Anthony Gordon at halftime, turned the tide against Manchester City after City's earlier domination.

• Alexander Isak scored the second-half winner for Newcastle, securing them a place in the fourth round and giving them bragging rights in the "Gulf derby."

• Both teams made numerous changes to their starting lineups, with City's Kalvin Phillips and Newcastle's Sandro Tonali facing off in midfield.

• City dominated possession in the first half but struggled to break down Newcastle's defense, with Newcastle's Paul Dummett and debutant Tino Livramento impressing.

• City boss Pep Guardiola and Phillips received yellow cards during the match, reflecting City's frustration.

• Guardiola did not introduce Erling Haaland from the bench and expressed satisfaction with winning the treble rather than a quadruple.

Our take: Guardiola’s decision to rest Haaland was, in retrospect, fatal to City’s hopes of retaining the Carabao Cup. That said, one could argue that City falling out of this relatively insignificant competition will serve them well as they try to repeat as winners of the Premier League and the Champions League.

2) Having Landed Prominent Players, Saudi Pro League Now Looking to Take Referees Out of EPL

The Saudi Pro League’s strategy appears to be centered on pulling as many recognizable names and faces out of the Premier League (and other preeminent leagues) as possible. It’s very much a “fake it until you make it” approach. Having attracted some known Premier League players, the Saudis are now turning their attention to pulling match officials from the EPL. Appearances, appearances.

• Saudi Arabia is looking to attract Premier League referees to work in their league following a summer of significant spending and recruitment efforts.

• The Saudi Pro League made headlines by signing high-profile players like Neymar, Karim Benzema, Jordan Henderson, and Ruben Neves.

• The league’s focus has now shifted to improving the officiating of matches in the league.

• The league is exploring the possibility of offering season-long contracts to top officials, potentially causing concern in European leagues about a talent drain.

• As an example, Michael Oliver (one of the EPL’s most respected match officials) earned a very high fee for refereeing a one-off match in Saudi Arabia.

• The quality of refereeing in Saudi Arabia has previously been criticized, with concerns about officials' understanding of the rules.

Our take: It’s hard to fault the Saudis’ approach here. Match officials come way more cheaply than elite players. And again, the goal here is to make the Saudi Pro League look more legitimate than it actually is in the present day. Bringing respected referees to the league can only help.

3) ❌ of the Day: Maybe Aaron Ramsdale Isn’t Done at Arsenal After All

4) 🗳️ With Manchester City Out, Who’s Your Pick to Win the Carabao Cup?

Have additional thoughts? Reply directly to this email to comment, and see if we include your response tomorrow.

5) 🔗 Links Roundup:

• ⬇️ The rough starts for Burnley, Luton Town and Sheffield United this season have pundits wondering if Derby County’s all-time low points tally is in jeopardy.

• 🔴 United manager Erik ten Hag’s grip on the dressing room is tenuous.

• 🔵 Chelsea can’t seriously be considering moving on from Mauricio Pochettino already, can they?

The newsletter today was written by Phil Keidel. Follow Phil on X @philkeidel.

Thanks for reading!