Late goals from substitutes Raul Jimenez and Rayan Ait-Nouri handed Julen Lopetegui a winning start as Wolves manager in a hard-fought Carabao Cup tie against League Two strugglers Gillingham, as Newcastle, Southampton and Leicester all advanced to the quarter-finals on Tuesday night.
Jimenez, making his first club appearance since August, broke the deadlock in a tight contest at Molineux with a 77th-minute penalty before Ait-Nouri secured a 2-0 victory in injury time.
Wolves dominated the encounter but lacked bite against the Gills, who defied their position at the bottom of the English Football League to show great resolve. Eventually the visitors began to tire and Wolves, boosted by an injection of quality from the bench, sensed their opportunity.
The pressure mounted but it still took a moment of fortune for Wolves to break through as Cheye Alexander was penalised for fouling Hwang in a crowded penalty area. Jimenez calmly stepped up to slot home the resulting spot-kick. Ait-Nouri wrapped up victory when he prodded home a second in time added on.
Elsewhere, Che Adams scored twice as Southampton marked Nathan Jones’ first home match as manager by scraping into the quarter-finals with an unconvincing 2-1 win over Lincoln.
Top scorer Adams struck either side of half-time to spare Saints blushes after the Imps threatened an upset following Gavin Bazunu’s early own goal.
The lacklustre hosts laboured for much of a forgettable fourth-round tie at a sparsely-populated St Mary’s, leaving Jones with plenty to ponder as he plots a Premier League survival mission.
Adam Smith’s own goal handed Newcastle a place in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals as Eddie Howe’s men edged past his former club Bournemouth.
The Cherries skipper’s 67th-minute misfortune was enough to secure a 1-0 victory for the Magpies at St James’ Park and increase hope that they can finally end a domestic trophy drought dating back to 1955.
If the win was deserved – the Magpies dominated much of the 90 minutes in front of an expectant crowd of 51,579 – it proved hard-fought with keeper Nick Pope having to save from substitute Jack Stacey and Dominic Solanke to preserve his clean sheet and ensure a seventh successive win.
Howe made a significant statement when he named all five of his returning World Cup stars – Pope, Kieran Trippier, Fabian Schar, Bruno Guimaraes and Callum Wilson – in his starting line-up.
Leicester will also be eyeing up a tilt at the Carabao Cup after easing into the last eight with a 3-0 win at MK Dons.
The Foxes resumed their season after a 39-day break for the World Cup in style as goals from Youri Tielemans, Ayoze Perez and Jamie Vardy booked their spot in the last eight.
With Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham already out and one of Manchester City or Liverpool following them after their tie on Thursday night, this year’s competition represents a real chance to break the stranglehold held by the top-six clubs going back to Swansea’s win in 2013.
Leicester, who were FA Cup winners in 2021, have a rich history in the League Cup with two memorable successes in 1997 and 2000 and will consider themselves one of the clubs capable of going all the way.
