Why Arsenal should be very wary of Newcastle United in the League Cup semifinals | OneFootball

Why Arsenal shouldn’t take Newcastle United for granted in the League Cup semis

Arsenal were drawn out of the League Cup hat on Thursday night to play Newcastle United in the semi-finals. The first leg is due to take place on Wednesday the eighth January.

Eddie Howe’s Mapgies who comfortably broke down Brentford 3-1 this week in the Quarter finals, on the same night The Gunners dismantled Crystal Palace 3-2 will be far from being an easy ride in the semis to say the least.

The Tyneside team for starters have been The Gunners bogey side to play in recent seasons, in fact in their past six meetings Arsenal have only won twice.

Mikel Arteta’s side have also not won now at St James’s Park for three seasons virtually. Last time out in the Premiership in November The Geordie’s beat The Gunners 1-0 with Alexander Isak scoring a screamer of a header from close range. The time before that last campaign Newcastle won by the same scoreline with Anthony Gordon popping up with the winner just after the hour break in late 2023.

Let’s not forget that Howe’s side were only in the League Cup Final two years ago when pushed aside 2-0 by Manchester United at Wembley. They’ve also reached at least the quarter-finals of the competition for the past three years, which is overall better than what Arsenal have done!

The Mapgie’s contain lethal talisman Isak who is currently the Premier League’s fourth top goalscorer on ten goals more than any other Arsenal player has reached so far during the season. He’s amounted to one goal less than the total reached by Kai Havertz (6) and Bukayo Saka (5) combined!

Alexander Isak of Newcastle United scores his team’s first goal during the Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Arsenal FC at St James’ Park on November 02, 2024 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Arsenal could also be without key attacker Bukayo Saka after he went down with an injured hamstring on Saturday during the 5-1 annihilation of Crystal Palace in the league.  Arteta didn’t seem convinced that this was just a small knock in the post match conference:” He felt something in his hamstring, he couldn’t continue. He will have to be assessed, so I’m pretty worried about that one.”

On top of that Raheem Sterling is injured too which Arteta was equally as concerned about:” It’s very difficult to give a prognosis now. They have tested him inside but it’s very difficult to say how bad it is.”

Overall the double blow has caused serious worry for everyone associated with The Arsenal, the Spaniard further said:” We lost Raheem Sterling (yesterday), we don’t know for how long as well, so to lose two players in 24 hours is not good.”

Adding to Arsenals hospital list Ben White is yet to return for The Gunners after enduring surgery for a minor knee injury according to the Evening Standard.

The same paper also reported that Takehiro Tomiyasu is still plagued with knee issues too which he succumbed to in October and has still only played a handful of minutes for The Gunners this campaign.

Arsenal may be short of their side’s full potential but if they defend like they did at the weekend, then surely they should emerge victorious in the League Cup against Newcastle and reach the final for the first time in seven years!

Liam Harding

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