The Mag
·09 de janeiro de 2025
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·09 de janeiro de 2025
Mikel Arteta watched on as his Arsenal side lost 2-0 to Newcastle United.
The Gunners boss the most ungracious of losers as always.
Arsenal have lost four matches in the last nine months and 50 percent of them have been to Eddie Howe.
Mikel Arteta finding himself under a little bit of pressure now, having won only three of their last six Premier League matches and his team now finding themselves 2-0 down at ‘half-time’ in this two-legged League Cup semi-final.
The Arsenal fans aren’t exactly renowned for their patience.
They forced Arsene Wenger out after a stunning two decades of success, including league titles. In the eyes of many Arsenal fans he was ‘failing’, despite winning three FA Cups in his last five seasons and delivering Champions League football for almost that entire 20 year or so period.
Following Tuesday night’s excellent Newcastle United performance and victory, some of the more extreme Arsenal fanbase have already talked of sacking Mikel Arteta.
History tells us that it won’t take many more ‘failures’ for that fan dissatisfaction to rapidly grow.
With these growing pressures and a number of missing players, especially star man Saka, Mikel Arteta will now be for sure I think, considering his priorities.
Which leads me to think, will Mikel Arteta now effectively throw this Carabao Cup semi-final second leg at St James’ Park?
Newcastle United matches in the build-up to facing Arsenal in the semi-final second leg:
Saturday 25 January – Southampton v Newcastle
Saturday 1 February – Newcastle v Fulham
Wednesday 5 February – Newcastle v Arsenal
Arsenal matches in the build-up to facing Newcastle United in the semi-final second leg:
Wednesday 22 January – Arsenal v Dinamo Zagreb
Saturday 25 January – Wolves v Arsenal
Wednesday 29 January – Girona v Arsenal
Sunday 2 February – Arsenal v Man City
Wednesday 5 February – Newcastle v Arsenal
As you can see, after the Premier League weekend of Saturday 18 January, Arsenal have four matches to play before the cup semi-final second leg, Newcastle United only two in that same period of time.
Over the course of a week and a half, Arsenal with four matches to play in the Champions League and Premier League.
It is stating the obvious but for Mikel Arteta, their club AND the Arsenal fans, little doubt that Champions League and Premier League are their two big priorities, even if Premier League is simply now trying to ensure they will be playing Champions League football next season.
We are of course talking about a League Cup semi-final, potentially just 90 minutes from Wembley, however, goals change matches AND they can also change priorities.
I think for Mikel Arteta, it is a massively different going to St James’ Park 2-0 down, as opposed to say 1-0 up, or even 0-0.
With their very busy Premier League and Champions League schedule (plus FA Cup if they win at home to Man U this coming weekend), despite all his bravado when talking about turning the semi-final around at St James’ Park, does anybody really believe that Mikel Arteta is going to be putting out his very best eleven against Newcastle?
Eddie Howe will, obviously, be doing this for sure. He will be throwing everything at getting to Wembley again and with the relatively light schedule and four days between playing at home to Fulham in the Premier League and Arsenal in the cup, why would he do anything other than that? Especially when 2-0 up and a hot odds-on 1/6 favourites chances now of getting to Wembley.
It is guaranteed that Mikel Arteta will have his best available eleven facing Man City on the Sunday and making sure those players give it everything in one of their biggest and most important matches of the season. Does anybody really think that then only three days later he will be asking that exact same eleven to try and do the same against Newcastle, when already 2-0 down and 9/2 outsiders now to reach Wembley?
I am not saying that this will make Newcastle United’s chances of Wembley ‘easy’, however, I do think it will make those chances ‘easier’ than otherwise would have been the case.
Mikel Arteta won’t be intending to lose out in the semi-final on purpose BUT he will be surely certain to play a weakened team, looking after some of his key players.
This is all building in Newcastle United’s favour and it is simply a case now of pressing these advantages home in that second leg.
I almost forgot as well the very biggest advantage.