The Carabao Cup semi-finals begin on Tuesday night when Arsenal welcome Newcastle United to the Emirates.
These two-legged affairs will decide who competes for glory at Wembley in March, with the winner of this tie facing either Tottenham Hotspur or Liverpool under the famous arch.
Arsenal extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to 13 games at the weekend but were disappointed to claim just a draw at Brighton. They remain in the Premier League title race, although Mikel Arteta may be better served by prioritizing cup competitions in the second half of the season.
The Gunners progressed to the last four of this competition thanks to Gabriel Jesus’ maiden arsenal hat-trick in the 3-2 win over Crystal Palace.
Newcastle also went down Premier League opposition to reach the semi-finals, with the Magpies benefiting from Thomas Frank rotating his team a lot on Tyneside. Eddie Howe’s side ran out 3-1 winners at home to Brentford, and have continued to win since then.
Five Premier League wins in a row sees Newcastle move up to fifth in the table and once again look like a team capable of messing with the aristocracy.
here it is 90 minutes tuesday guide Carabao Cup first leg semi-final
Head-to-head results Arsenal vs Newcastle (last five games)
Current form (all competitions)
|
arsenal |
Newcastle |
|---|---|
|
Brighton 1-1 Arsenal – 25/01/04 |
Tottenham 1-2 Newcastle – 25/01/04 |
|
Brentford 1-3 Arsenal – 01/25/01 |
Man Utd 0-2 Newcastle – 30/12/24 |
|
Arsenal 1-0 Ipswich – 27/12/24 |
Newcastle 3-0 Aston Villa – 26/12/24 |
|
Crystal Palace 1-5 Arsenal – 21/12/24 |
Ipswich 0-4 Newcastle – 21/12/24 |
|
Arsenal 3-2 Crystal Palace – 18/12/24 |
Newcastle 3-1 Brentford – 18/12/24 |
|
country |
TV channel/live broadcast |
|---|---|
|
united kingdom |
Main Event Sky Sports, Sky Sports Football, Sky Ultra HD, NOW TV, SKY GO Extra, SKY GO, ITV1, ITVX |
|
united states |
Paramount+ |
|
canada |
DAZN Canada |
Arsenal’s squad was hit by illness last week, with Kai Havertz missing the Gunners’ previous two outings as a result. Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard and Declan Rice were also affected.
Arteta hopes his players will be in better shape next Tuesday given Newcastle’s physicality.
On the injury front, Ethan Nwaneri is out for several weeks after suffering a muscle problem a Brighton. The teenager joins Bukayo Saka, Raheem Sterling, Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu in the treatment room.
Jurrien Timber is eligible to return from suspension.
Arsenal predicted line-up against Newcastle (4-3-3): Stripe; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Partey, Rice, Odegaard; Martinelli, Jesus, Trossard.
Howe would have been pleased with what he saw from Sven Botman on Saturday, with the Dutchman making his second return from a long-term knee injury. The centre-back could be forced into another start in quick succession with Fabian Schar still suspended.
There could be a midfield reshuffle given the minutes Howe’s starters have been getting in recent weeks. Bruno Guimaraes is suspended, so former Gunner Joe Willock could come into the team. Harvey Barnes can also be rotated into the first line, but Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon should keep their spots.
The visitors are still without Callum Wilson, Jamaal Lascelles and Emil Krafth. Nick Pope is a doubt.
Newcastle predicted line-up against Arsenal (4-3-3): Dubravka; Delivery, Schar, Burn, Hall; Tonali, Joelinton, Willock; Gordon, Isaac, Barnes.
This looks like a big game for Arsenal, who will have to take the lead with them at St. James’ Park in February. Howe, on the other hand, will settle for a draw and we’ve seen the Newcastle manager baffle his Spanish counterpart on several occasions since taking over the Magpies job.
Arsenal have failed to score in three of their previous five games against Newcastle.
Tuesday’s visitors are back to their nastiest and most potent form, but Howe will need to rotate for long-term gains in midweek, which should open the floodgates for the hosts.
They will have to work their way there, but Arsenal’s desperation may see them over the line at home. Whether a one-goal lead will be enough is another story.
