Chelsea's Halloween horror show a treat for Newcastle as Howe ...

Newcastle gratefully accepted the ghoulish gifts on offer from their generous visitors to clinch a place in the last eight of the Carabao Cup with a first win in six to lift some of the gloom that had been descending on St James' Park.

The viewing wasn't so palatable for Chelsea fans, who were left to watch through their fingers at more kamikaze attempts to play out from the back. If there had been a sofa in the away end, there would no doubt have been almost 5,000 supporters congregated behind it.

Enzo Maresca's insistence that his side continue their shotgun-to-foot approach when so many of their players are palpably incapable of doing so borders on madness - expecting a different outcome when repeating the same mistakes in what were a catalogue of errors from those clad in blue.

Chelsea's Italian boss named an entirely different starting XI to the side which had beaten Newcastle in the Premier League three days ago, with Cole Palmer confined to a night on the bench.

Despite the new faces, the failings were chillingly familiar as they handed their opponents an initiative they happily accepted with two goals in the space of three minutes midway through the first-half.

Joelinton had already missed an early sitter when his shot clipped the outside of a post from six yards, before the hosts finally found their range to take a deserved 23rd-minute lead.

With Newcastle showing far more intent, energy and a co-ordinated press than in many of their recent lethargic displays, the Brazilian made amends by dispossessing Renato Veiga on the edge of the Chelsea area. It allowed Sandro Tonali to poke the ball through for Alexander Isak to fire the opener beneath keeper Filip Jorgensen.

Tonali went within inches of doubling the advantage with a fine curling effort, but Eddie Howe's side didn't have long to wait to make it two. More comedic defending was at the heart of the hosts doubling their advantage. Lewis Hall released Isak to cross for Joe Willock. The midfielder's deft glancing header was probably going in, but Axel Disasi made sure by slicing the ball into his own net in the full-back's hapless efforts to clear.

Chelsea were rather better going forward than they were at the back, and should have had at least one goal for their first-half efforts, most notably when inside the second minute, Kiernan Dewsbury Hall shot straight at Nick Pope after a mistake by Lloyd Kelly.

Veiga's sliding effort from a Marc Cucurella cut-back was deflected wide off Tonali and Joao Felix might have done better as he fired wide when creating space on the edge of the area.

The basketball-like openness to the tie continued after the break as Chelsea swiftly realised that attack was the best form of defence given the brittle nature of their backline. Kelly brilliantly blocked a goal-bound shot from Christopher Nkunku, who was then unable to make the most of some good work from Mykhaylo Mudryk in creating another presentable chance.

Newcastle found themselves increasingly pushed back, but momentarily thought they had scored a decisive third, only for Sean Longstaff's header to be ruled out for offside. At the other end, Joao Felix was unable to match his well-timed run with a similarly impressive finish as the Portuguese prodded the ball wide off the upright when a goal would have set up a nervy final 15 minutes.

Substitute Will Osula hit the post with a late effort as Newcastle almost extended their lead. It didn't prove costly and they are able to look forward to a quarter-final tie in the week leading up to Christmas, by which time Chelsea might just have perfected the art of playing out from the back.

Newcastle (4-3-3): Pope 8; Krafth 8, Schar 8, Kelly 7, Hall 7 (Burn 72, 7); Longstaff 7, Tonali 7 (Miley 90, 5), Joelinton 7; Gordon 7 (Livramento 73, 6), Isak 8 (Osula 63, 6), Willock 6 (Guimaraes 63, 7). Booked: Schar, Longstaff, Gordon, Pope.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Jorgensen 4; Disasi 3, Adarabioyo 4, Badiashile 4, Cucurella 4; Renato Veiga 4; Dewsbury-Hall 5 (Madueke 57, 5), Joao Felix 6, Mudryk 6; Nkunku 5. Booked: Badiashile, Joao Felix 

Referee: Chris Kavanagh