From Chris Waugh’s article in The Athletic;
Their overall cup record under the retailer stands at played 52, won 22, drawn 6 and lost 24. The Magpies have never reached the last 16 of the FA Cup in the Ashley era, while their best return in the League Cup has been two quarter-final appearances. On the second such occasion, back in November 2016 when Newcastle were chasing promotion, Benitez rested six players – including star forward Dwight Gayle – for a Championship game at Blackburn so that he could target a cup semi-final, and those close to the Spaniard came to believe such a decision angered Ashley.