N ewcastle United advanced to the Carabao Cup final for the second time in three years after a dominant 2-0 victory over Arsenal in the semi-final second leg at St James' Park, sealing a 4-0 aggregate win.
Jacob Murphy and Anthony Gordon scored for Eddie Howe's side, extending their first-leg advantage gained at the Emirates on January 7. The Magpies will now face either Tottenham Hotspur or Liverpool, who will play their semi-final second leg on Thursday night.
Newcastle almost got off to a dream start when Alexander Isak, in superb form with 14 goals in his last 13 matches, found the net early. However, his effort was ruled out for offside following a VAR review. Despite the setback, the Magpies were undeterred, and 15 minutes later, they were ahead. Isak again broke free, and after his shot rattled the left-hand post, Murphy was there to score from the rebound into an empty net.
Arsenal's injury woes continued as Gabriel Martinelli was forced off with a hamstring injury, replaced by Ethan Nwaneri before the break. Things went from bad to worse for the Gunners early in the second half when Gordon dispossessed Declan Rice and scored from 40 yards after a poor pass from goalkeeper David Raya. That goal all but sealed Arsenal's fate.
In the aftermath, Newcastle manager Eddie Howe reflected on the significance of the team's achievement. "It’s huge. The first Wembley appearance was brilliant, but a club like this, we need to be there regularly," Howe said. "We’re here on merit, and we now have an opportunity to improve from the last one."
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, on the other hand, admitted that Newcastle were better in both boxes across the two legs. "When you want to win trophies, you need to be effective in the boxes, and we weren’t," Arteta said, acknowledging the lack of composure in key moments.
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp praised Newcastle for executing a perfect game plan. "They did to Arsenal what Arsenal usually does to others—being aggressive and taking control of the game," Redknapp said. "Newcastle were absolutely magnificent and deserved to reach the final."
With a spot in the final secured, Newcastle now sets their sights on ending their 70-year wait for a major trophy when they take on either Tottenham or Liverpool at Wembley on March 16.
0 Comments