Newcastle get past Arsenal in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final : Five things we learned | OneFootball

Newcastle get past Arsenal in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final : Five things we learned | OneFootball

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·7 de enero de 2025

Newcastle get past Arsenal in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final : Five things we learned

Imagen del artículo:Newcastle get past Arsenal in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final : Five things we learned

Newcastle will take a 2-0 lead to Tyneside for the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final after picking up a comprehensive win over Arsenal in the first leg. Here’s five things we learned.

Alexander Isak showed why Arsenal want him


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The Swede has been in formidable form over the last couple of months, with nine Premier League goals since the start of December. He scored again today, and had a few moments and touches that demonstrated his star quality.

There’s no doubt he’s a level above some of the Gunners’ current forwards and if possible in the summer, he would be a huge acquisition. The only issue would be a transfer fee, with Newcastle rumoured to be looking for £120 million+ for him.

Arsenal’s attacking frailties were exposed

Many Arsenal fans were concerned about how they would fare given the injuries to Bukayo Saka and Ethan Nwaneri, and the game played out how many would have expected.

Chances came, and went, for the Gunners. Jurrien Timber should have scored a header from a corner, but the biggest chance came to Gabriel Martinelli who missed a 1-on-1 with Martin Dubravka at 0-0 that was inexcusable.

Myles Lewis-Skelly continues to impress

Despite being only 18 years of age, the midfielder plays with a maturity beyond his years and has an assuredness about him that players normally don’t develop until the latter stage of their careers. He has been asked to cover at left-back a few times since being put in the team by Mikel Arteta, despite primarily being a midfielder, but has still excelled.

VAR announcements were made in the stadium

For the first time ever in English football, fans inside the stadium were able to hear how the referee came to a final decision after being advised by VAR. Or they would have been, but the technology wasn’t needed tonight.

For years, the frustration with the technology has been that fans inside the stadium were left scratching their heads more than anyone else watching. People on TV can see replays and hear commentators providing an explanation, but the people paying their money to go to games were neglected. This is a positive change for the future.

It was a battle between two teams with very different levels of confidence

Newcastle have been in scintillating form for weeks, losing only one game since November and beating teams such as Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham in recent weeks. Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak are flying, and everything is going right for the Magpies.

Conversely, things have been going wrong for the Gunners recently. Results have been respectable, but performances have been mixed for a while. And the tide has really turned since the news of injuries to Saka and Nwaneri. They drew their last Premier League game against Brighton and it was a worrying performance. Tonight was again a struggle and Mikel Arteta will have to think long and hard about how his side will cope in the absence of their best player.

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