Newcastle secured an impressive and deserved victory 2-0 win over Arsenal in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday evening.
Arsenal wasted several promising chances in the first half hour and were punished for it by Alexander Isak. The Newcastle striker scored his 15th goal of the season seven minutes before half-time, confidently firing past David Raya from a free-kick.
Shortly after half-time, Anthony Gordon doubled Newcastle’s lead and the Magpies withstood increasing pressure from Arsenal to secure a commanding lead in the second leg at St James’ Park in early February.
How the game developed
Newcastle got off to an energetic start in the capital, but the home team had the better chances early in the game. After a series of impressive defensive attempts from Black and White Jerseys, Jurrien Timber headed a header over the crossbar from four yards out with the goal gaping.
It took until just before the half-hour mark for Arsenal to fully flex their attacking muscles with a clever move that almost led to the opening goal. Two fizzing passes bypassed the Newcastle press and brought Gabriel Martinelli towards Martin Dubravka’s goal, but the Brazilian’s dangerous shot crashed against the post.
Just as the momentum was shifting in Arsenal’s favor, Newcastle struck. Sven Botman scored the first shot from a free kick and found Jacob Murphy, who directed the ball into the path of the in-form Isak. The towering Swede made no mistake from close range, bouncing off the underside of the crossbar to give the Magpies the lead.
Arsenal almost equalized at the break, but Dubravka’s great save just before half-time denied the hosts an equaliser. Declan Rice’s header at the far post fortuitously fell to centre-back Gabriel, but the Brazilian was unable to hammer his half-volley beyond the onrushing Newcastle stopper.
The Gunners would have hoped for an immediate response after the restart, but six minutes after the break it was their visitors who doubled their lead. Murphy picked out goalscorer Isak and the striker forced Raya into a save from deep, with Gordon reacting ahead of Timber and firing the parried shot into the empty net.
Just before the hour mark, Kai Havertz had a great opportunity to halve the deficit when Leandro Trossard’s deflected cross fell unnoticed to him in the six-yard box, but the returning German inexplicably missed his header as the ball bounced off his shoulder and out of bounds a goal kick went.
Arsenal continued to apply pressure on the Newcastle goal without stressing Dubravka too often, with Jorginho firing a promising opening over the bar in the final five minutes that epitomized a frustrating evening for the Gunners.
Arsenal’s creative difficulties were there for all to see at the Emirates and they now face the incredibly difficult challenge of overcoming Newcastle’s two-goal lead in the second leg at St James’ Park. If they fail to do so, Mikel Arteta’s side will miss another chance at a title.
Mikel Arteta’s starting lineup highlighted the magnitude of Tuesday’s duel. The Spaniard fielded his strongest available starting XI upon Newcastle’s arrival and was hoping for a more impressive and fluid performance than the weekend against Brighton & Hove Albion.
From the first whistle, however, life was challenging for Arsenal. Surprisingly, Newcastle used a highly dynamic pressing approach that forced the home team into mistakes and left little time and space for their talented forward line.
Newcastle understandably took a more cautious stance as they held a two-goal lead, digging deeper and making a number of defensively focused substitutions. However, Arsenal continued to be oppressed by Eddie Howe’s side and had no answer to the deep defense that stood in front of them.
The Gunners have sorely missed the tireless and endlessly creative Bukayo Saka, who is out for the foreseeable future through injury, and now have a mountain to climb before the second leg. Without their talismanic winger, Arsenal stifled on the big stage.
There has long been a narrative that Arsenal need a new centre-forward if they want to go from real men to serial winners. Isak is one of the names regularly mentioned in gossip columns and his impressive performances on Tyneside do not go unnoticed.
While Kai Havertz – and Gabriel Jesus in recent weeks – has occasionally papered over cracks, Tuesday evening showed exactly what Arsenal have been missing in the more difficult phases of recent years.
Isak, who reportedly cost £150 million, demonstrated his class in front of a captive crowd and led the team effectively from the first minute until his eventual substitution. He had already scored the winning goal in the league game in November and produced a similarly confident finish to put Newcastle in the lead before brilliant center forward play gave Newcastle a second half. Meanwhile, Havertz missed a safe header from point-blank range.
The Sweden international’s overall combination play was extremely impressive, with bursts of pace and gazelle-like agility causing havoc on Arsenal’s experienced centre-back duo. If this was an audition to make north London his permanent home, then he passed with flying colors.
Newcastle had a relatively slow start to the season but got back into the swing of things over the last month. Tuesday’s triumph was a seventh successive win in all competitions, with wins over Aston Villa, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and now Arsenal in their last four games.
The Magpies have often produced their best performances for the Premier League giants this season – see their 1-0 win over Arsenal earlier in the season – and have really stepped up their game at the Emirates.
A breathless and spirited performance deserved a two-goal win, with Newcastle being relentless in the final third, expert in midfield and heroic in defence. The latter was particularly noticeable as Arsenal blocked their way back into the game with one block after another.
If they reach the final, they have no fear at Wembley Stadium, even if Liverpool are their opponents in the showpiece tournament. They have demonstrated their ability to continually mix with the best and now they have a golden opportunity to end their long trophy drought.