IT would take just 30 seconds for Newcastle to make their intentions clear and give Chelsea an uncomfortable taste of what was to come.

Most of the visiting players in blue hadn’t touched the ball when the returning Anthony Gordon crunched into a thunderous challenge near the corner flag at a raucous St James’ Park on Wednesday night. No problems with that groin injury, then.

It was a tackle that set the tone and let Chelsea know they would be in for a far greater and more uncomfortable challenge than they faced against the Magpies in the Premier League just four days earlier.

And it was the first glimpse of a much-needed return of the Newcastle who suffocate their opponents into submission, particularly on home turf.

This will help to heal the scars of last season’s painful Carabao Cup exit at Stamford Bridge, a “missed opportunity” admitted Howe on the eve of last night’s re-run. The head coach’s dream of ending the long, long wait for silverware on Tyneside is still alive. So is United’s season. As dramatic as that might sound given October is not yet out, the picture wouldn’t have looked pretty for Newcastle had they lost on Wednesday night and lifting spirits could have proved extremely difficult.

But Newcastle played like a team that was desperate to win rather than fearful of defeat.

The energy and intensity was back, the high press forcing Chelsea into defensive mistakes such as the one that allowed Alexander Isak to set Newcastle on their way to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals at the midway point of the first half. The visitors were shaken and a panicked Axel Disasi sliced into his own net just three minutes later.

Just as impressive, though, was the bravery and brilliance in Newcastle’s own box, led by Lloyd Kelly who made two stunning goal-saving blocks and made a strong case to keep his place in the side for Saturday’s visit of Arsenal.

As did Joe Willock and Sean Longstaff, who dramatically improved a midfield that has looked muddled of late. Joelinton was shifted to the left side of the attack but showed his versatility with a powerful display full of running and purpose.

This, as Howe has stressed on countless occasions and reiterated in his programme notes on Wednesday night, is a competition that means an awful lot to Newcastle and their head coach – which made his decision to make as many as five changes slightly surprising. But Howe was proved right. Newcastle looked fresh and hungry and were so much better defensively than they were in the capital on Sunday.

They were helped, however, by Enzo Maresca who opted to leave out Cole Palmer – and, for that matter, everyone else who started at the weekend. That the Italian could make 11 changes and still include players such as Newcastle summer target Tosin Adarabioyo, Enzo Fernandez, Joao Felix and Christopher Nkunku shows the strength of the squad at his disposal.

Had Chelsea’s glorious opportunity to take the lead after just 62 seconds fallen to Palmer rather than Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who replaced him in the XI, Newcastle would have almost certainly got off to the worst possible start. They survived that scare but then missed a sitter of their own a minute later when the unmarked Joelinton somehow hit the post instead of the net from just six yards out when he was picked out by Isak.

Newcastle started with intent and aggression but Chelsea passed and moved with ease. The visitors dominated the ball and would come to regret missed chances. Renato Veiga had a shot blocked by Sandro Tonali before Joao Felix fired over from the edge of the box.

And just after the midway stage of the first half, Joelinton made amends for that early sitter. It was the Brazilian who robbed Veiga of the ball as Chelsea made a mess of playing it out from the back and Isak rediscovered the composure that has been missing of late and coolly slotted under Filip Jorgensen.

Just three minutes later it was two, Isak this time the creator. His cross was met by the head of Willock whose goal-bound glance was sliced into his own net by Disasi.

Newcastle were now the team confidently in control. They pressed Chelsea into errors and zipped the ball about the pitch. The impressive Lewis Hall felt the love from the stands after spraying one inch-perfect pass from one flank to the other.

But Chelsea – and Felix – still carried an attacking threat. The forward was first denied by the lunging Kelly and then Pope as more chances came and went for the visitors.

Defensively, though, Chelsea were wary and uncomfortable and Newcastle almost had a third in first half stoppage time when Willock met Gordon’s cross from the right after a rapid counter but couldn’t keep his effort down.

The brilliant Kelly made a second goal-saving block in his own box to deny Nkunku before Maresca turned to his bench and introduced not Palmer but Noni Madueke.

Longstaff had the ball in the net but his header was ruled out for offside and Felix’s miserable night continued at the other end when he missed another opportunity to halve the deficit and make life uncomfortable for Newcastle in the final stages.

Instead, the hosts managed it well and Chelsea ran out of steam and ideas. Palmer wasn’t called from the bench.

Tonali was withdrawn in stoppage time, when he was serenaded from the stands. Then the attention of the supporters turned to Wembley. It’s a dream - and very much a possibility.