Losing the first leg of this important semi-final at home is the worst possible outcome for the Gunners, leaving them with a lot of work to do if they are to progress. However, as they say, never say never. Arsenal still have a chance, but they will need to play at their very best to overturn the deficit.
Arsenal will face a Newcastle United side that is determined to win the competition to confirm the significant progress they have made in recent years. The Magpies have been steadily improving under Eddie Howe, and securing a trophy would mark a major milestone in their development as a team. For Arsenal, the Carabao Cup represents another opportunity to add silverware to their trophy cabinet, something that manager Mikel Arteta is keen to do. Despite having already won major honours, Arteta is eager to continue building a winning mentality at the club.
Newcastle, on the other hand, have made some bold signings in recent transfer windows, leaving them with quality players all over the pitch. This depth and talent will make the game difficult for Arsenal, as they will face tough opponents in nearly every area of the field. One area that stands out, according to Adrian Clarke, is the midfield battle. Clarke, analysing the game on Arsenal Media, highlighted the importance of Newcastle’s midfield trio:
“Newcastle’s combative central midfield will hold the key to their chances of holding onto their lead. Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton, and Sandro Tonali make a formidable unit, blending technical ability with physicality. They are also positionally interchangeable. The main tweak in recent months has been the use of Tonali as the deepest player, freeing the other two to fill box-to-box roles.”
With such a strong midfield, Newcastle will look to control the game and maintain their advantage. For Arsenal to have any chance of success, they must win the battle in the middle of the park and prevent Newcastle from asserting their dominance. With a team this dangerous, Arsenal will also need to be careful not to concede more goals, as they face a tough task in the second leg. The stakes are high, and this match promises to be an intense and crucial encounter for both sides.
While Newcastle are physically challenging in midfield and possess real talent up front in the shape of Isaak and Gordon their Keeper and back four are not of the highest calibre in my opinion and can be exposed even at home where their support can act as an extra man.With a two goal lead they are likely to sit deep, particularly in the early stages, with the aim of hitting us on the break, and our centre backs will need to improve on their first leg performances when they afforded Isaak far too much space in which to operate.To throw caution to the wind will play into the hands of Newcastle and our aim should be to stifle their key players and sneak the goals we need even if the winner comes late in extra time.There seems to be a doubt regarding the fitness of Joelinton and his absence would certainly be a huge boost for us as he invariably plays well against us.
Depends how much kicking the ref allows to Newcastle to do before he does anything. Isak needs a top team to play for and he will not get it at Newcastle