Arsenal will host Newcastle United in the EFL Cup semi-final first-leg at the Emirates, with both sides eager to take an advantage into the second-leg.
Arsenal, who face Newcastle United up next, endured a tough time against Brighton & Hove Albion at the weekend, where a controversial penalty decision from referee Anthony Taylor undid them. A clash of heads between William Saliba and Joao Pedro resulted in a debatable penalty, something that may not have happened in the past for such an incident.
Pedro scored from the resulting spot kick, as Brighton went on to hold on for a draw, which dealt a blow for Arsenal in their quest to catch Liverpool. Fortunately or unfortunately, the Merseysiders could only muster a draw against Manchester United. At the same time, other rivals, Chelsea, also dropped points, which effectively cancels out any advantage or disadvantage for this match week.
Mikel Arteta will shift his focus on the EFL Cup, as a big semi-final first leg awaits at the Emirates. The Gunners reached this stage owing to a stellar win over Crystal Palace in the quarter-final, as a Gabriel Jesus hat-trick at the Emirates proved enough to ward off a late charge from the visitors. Now Arsenal take on Newcastle United in a two-legged affair with the Magpies, with the first leg being played in North London.
Newcastle United make the long trip to North London again in a span of a few days following their result at the weekend against Tottenham. Anthony Gordon’s equaliser immediately cancelled out a Dominic Solanke opener, but they took the lead through the in-form Alexander Isak well before half-time.
The Magpies then managed to see out the game despite Tottenham’s pressure late on, where they came close to finding an equaliser. In any case, that was their sixth straight win in all competition for Newcastle United, which also included a 3-1 win over Brentford in the quarterfinals of the EFL Cup.
It is that result that has got the Magpies into the semi-finals of the competition, and they have set up a monumental two-legged encounter with Arsenal starting at the Emirates on Tuesday. While the Gunners may still see this competition as important, for Newcastle United, it is a glorious opportunity to end their long-standing trophy drought, and they were part of the final two years ago, losing to Manchester United.
Team News & Tactics
Arsenal
The home side’s injury crisis deepened following their draw against Brighton, as Ethan Nwaneri was taken off at the half-time. The Gunners boss later confirmed the attacker had suffered a muscular problem, which will certainly keep him out of the Newcastle United game at the very least and possibly for longer, depending on the prognosis.
There are still unclear signs about Kai Havertz, who has missed back-to-back games with illness, and it remains to be seen whether he will recover in time for the cup clash. Neto remains ineligible for this competition, while Ben White, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Bukayo Saka and Raheem Sterling are all out for the time being. Jurrien Timber is available once again after missing the Brighton game through a one-match suspension.
Mikel Arteta would look to shuffle his pack a little depending on the availability of the remaining members of his squad. Jakub Kiwior and one of Oleksandr Zinchenko or Myles Lewis-Skelly would likely come into the manager’s thinking. At the same time, one of Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba are likely to start at the back.
Arteta will also stay cautious about overusing Thomas Partey from the start, as the midfielder is seen as the ideal cover for the right-back position, meaning Jorginho might start at the base of the midfield. Martin Odegaard should be fit to start, while Declan Rice will move to the left-hand side. Havertz might start from the bench, meaning a front three of Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard might start.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Raya; Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Jorginho, Rice; Martinelli, Jesus, Trossard
Newcastle United
Much like Arsenal, Newcastle United have their fair share of injury-enforced absentees ahead of this trip to north London. Nick Pope remains absent for the foreseeable future, meaning Martin Dubravka will continue on goal. Defender Jamaal Lascelles remains out with his long-term problem, while Fabian Schar will stay out with a suspension.
Sven Botman played at the weekend for the whole game after a long time out of the equation with a knee injury, as Eddie Howe might now risk starting him this soon. The game might be a chance for Lloyd Kelly to come in, while Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall are expected to stay in that back four alongside Dan Burn.
There are not many tweaks available for Howe ahead of this clash, although he could rest Bruno Guimaraes for Joe Willock to start against his former side. Alexander Isak, Jacob Murphy and Gordon are all expected to start, although Harvey Barnes could potentially come in for the latter.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Dubravka; Livramento, Dan Burn, Kelly, Hall; Willock, Tonali, Joelinton; Murphy, Isak, Barnes
Key Stats
- Arsenal have won 11 of their last 13 home matches against Newcastle United in all competitions.
- Newcastle United and Arsenal have alternated between victory and defeat in their last four games against each other in the Premier League
- Arsenal are unbeaten in 13 games across all competitions.
- Newcastle United have won their last six games across all competitions.
- Newcastle United have not won at the Emirates since 2010.
Player to Watch
Alexander Isak
There are a lot of suggestions in the build-up to this game, and one of those insists that this game might be an audition for Alexander Isak to showcase he is worthy of the money for Arsenal. The Magpies are short in the attack, and Eddie Howe will have no other option but to start with the Swede.
Isak has already scored against Arsenal in Newcastle’s win over the Gunners earlier in the campaign and will be a threat to the Gunners’ backline ahead of Tuesday’s game. In any case, the Swede can be the hero for the Magpies if he can produce another top display and take the team back to St. James’ Park with a solid advantage.
Prediction
Arsenal 2-1 Newcastle United
Both these teams are in good form, although Newcastle United will feel they have a chance at the Emirates against probably the best defensive side in the country. The Magpies will come here under pressure to deliver a solid performance as well as keep their optimal levels in the Premier League and the upcoming FA Cup, and given their thin squad options it might prove challenging.
Arsenal, on the other hand, do not have the luxury of a full squad, and they have key injuries to contend with. However, the Gunners will once again rely on their defensive solidity to keep the Magpies at bay as well as manage to score on the other end to take advantage of the second leg of this semi-final fixture.
