Revenge is a dish best served cold, so they say.
Well, Newcastle have the chance to serve up a plate that has been frozen for over 14 months when they take on Brentford today.
On December 22, 2020, Steve Bruce led his black-and-white troops into West London on a numb winter night carrying the hopes of every football fan on Tyneside, with the city desperate to see its club end a 65-year trophy drought.
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The job at hand seemed simple: victory against a Championship outfit - albeit a high-flying one - and Newcastle would book themselves a place in the semi-final of the Carabao Cup.
Better still, that year's competition would have a one-legged semi-final due to the congested fixture list caused by coronavirus - meaning Newcastle were just two wins away from glory should they brush aside lower-league opposition.
However, what unfolded was a horror show that left Magpies fans feeling as low as they ever had done during Mike Ashley’s regime.
Josh Dasilva's second-half strike stunned the visitors to send Brentford into a semi-final for the first time in their 131-year history. A night that was supposed to end in celebration quickly turned into a catastrophe because, once again, Newcastle had been knocked out of the cup in humiliating fashion.
If there were murmurs among Newcastle supporters about wanting Bruce sacked before this game - the feeling was certainly unanimous after it.
Fast forward to the present day and the cloud of apathy that haunted St James’ Park has been lifted following the £300million Saudi-backed takeover.
Bruce is long gone, with Eddie Howe’s resurgent Magpies handed the opportunity to inflict some misery of their own on Thomas Frank’s side.
A win against the Bees would be a landmark moment in the Premier League relegation battle.
Newcastle would leapfrog their opponents and climb as high as 14th - despite having two games in hand still to play.
Defeat for the hosts plunges an out-of-form side into turmoil and fears about instant relegation to the Championship would heighten.
Heading into today’s fixture, Brentford - labelled the top-flight’s surprise package a few months ago - have won just once in 10 outings, losing eight, with pressure around the Community Ground cranks up after a stress-free start to the season.
Newcastle have a golden opportunity to rectify the wrong from last season by putting the Bees to the sword this afternoon.
It is time to get the knives and forks out and serve up this cold dish in style.
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