Newcastle Ease into Carabao Cup Final with Convincing Victory Over Arsenal

Newcastle United secured their spot in the EFL Cup final, claiming their fourth victory out of five home encounters against Arsenal, with a decisive 2-0 win on the night and a comprehensive 4-0 on aggregate. This result brings the Magpies within a win of capturing their first major domestic trophy since 1955.

A 2-0 advantage in the first leg at the Emirates had Newcastle on the brink of their second final in three seasons, and just four minutes into the match, Eddie Howe’s men appeared to be solidifying their ambitions.

In a swift counter-attack from an Arsenal goal-kick, the home team quickly moved the ball to Alexander Isak, who sent a powerful shot soaring into the net with pinpoint accuracy.

However, following a VAR review, referee Simon Hooper called the goal offside, much to the dismay of the fans at St James’ Park.

Shortly after, some clever interplay from the Gunners nearly reduced the aggregate score when Martin Odegaard’s curled effort struck the post—a chance that was swiftly capitalised on by the hosts.

Undeterred by having a goal disallowed, Isak latched onto a goal-kick from Martin Dubravka, exchanged passes with Anthony Gordon, before charging forward and hitting the post, which left David Raya stranded and allowed Jacob Murphy to nimbly tap in the rebound.

The visitors now faced an uphill battle, and after Leandro Trossard was thwarted by a quick save just before half-time, Arsenal entered the second half needing a miraculous turnaround to salvage their League Cup hopes.

Despite their recent form, in which they overwhelmed Manchester City with a 5-1 victory, Arsenal looked shaky against a confident Newcastle side. Statistically, only one of their last 14 encounters had seen both teams find the net, suggesting the odds were stacked against them for a second-half recovery.

The break failed to steady the nerves of the Gunners backline, who were caught out twice in the early parts of the second half.

A careless touch from William Saliba went unpunished when Gordon’s long-range shot whistled wide, but Raya was not as fortunate, as his attempted pass was intercepted by Fabian Schar, allowing Gordon to slot in with an excellent turn.

With a comfortable aggregate lead, Newcastle cruised through a rather uneventful second half to cement their place in the final.

They will discover their opponents tomorrow, as Liverpool take on Tottenham Hotspur, with Spurs leading 1-0 from the first leg and poised to be the potential hurdle between the Magpies and their first-ever League Cup title.

For Arsenal, this defeat marks their first loss in nine away matches across all competitions, leaving them still searching for their first EFL Cup final appearance since 2017/18, with their last triumph in the 1992/93 season.