Preview: Arsenal v Newcastle United | Pre-Match Report | News

Tuesday sees us tackle Newcastle United in a Carabao Cup semi-final showdown at Emirates Stadium (8pm UK), as we aim to take a first-leg advantage up to the north-east next month.

We haven’t reached the final of this competition since 2011, while we last had our name engraved on the famous three-handled trophy back in 1993. Therefore, Mikel Arteta will be keen to get to Wembley by overcoming the Magpies, which would be aided by a positive result in front of our own supporters as we aim to extend our 13-game unbeaten run in all competitions.

But the Toon are one of the league’s in-form teams right now, winning their last six matches by an aggregate scoreline of 18-2. They also tasted success in north London last weekend, when they beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 as their momentum snowballs throughout the winter months.

Final tickets remain for this game via the Ticket Exchange, available to Silver and Red Members and General Admission Season Ticket Holders (subject to availability, eligibility criteria apply)

Magpies flying

After a poor run of form following their success against us at St James’ Park at the start of November, Newcastle have enjoyed a resurgence in the form of six straight wins, pushing them up to fifth in the table, five points behind ourselves.

Leicester City were smashed 4-0 before a quarter-final success over Brentford by a 3-1 scoreline. Ipswich Town were then dispatched by four goals, before an impressive 3-0 win against Aston Villa on Boxing Day. A second league win at Old Trafford since 1972 followed as Eddie Howe’s team triumphed 2-0, before Spurs were toppled on Saturday.

This competition has been a fruitful one for the Geordies in recent years, who have lost just one of their last 15 League Cup matches – the 2023 final when they were beaten by United. Nottingham Forest, AFC Wimbledon and Chelsea were knocked out on this season’s run, before the success against the Bees last month.

What the managerS say

Arteta: “We’re very excited to play the game in front of our crowd. A semi-final, an opportunity to earn the right to be in a final and that starts tomorrow with two legs. Obviously they’re going to be two long games against a very competitive team, we know that, but very excited and we need a big, big atmosphere in our stadium.

“The way we can feel at the Emirates with our people is incredible and I’m very positive that tomorrow we’re going to create a big one against really good opposition in the semi-final of the cup that we want to win, so let’s go for it.”

Howe: “This is an important game for us. We need to be at our absolute best, a high-level game. There is a lot at stake for us.

“We’ve got to be really good off the ball and solid defensively. We’ve got to cause Arsenal problems the other way. I don’t think we should overthink it, we just need to get that mix right. Let’s try and continue the good performances we’ve given recently and try and win the game.”

Team news

Ethan Nwaneri was forced off at half-time against Brighton on Saturday with a muscular problem and looks set to sit out his first League Cup game of the season. Kai Havertz has missed the past two games through illness and continues to be assessed.

Bukayo Saka (hamstring), Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu (both knees) remain out.

Newcastle will be without the services of Bruno Guimaraes and Fabian Schar who are suspended, while Anthony Gordon had to be replaced against Tottenham with a facial injury but should be OK to feature in N5.

Sven Botman returned after 10 months out on the weekend and Howe is being cautious about throwing him straight into another game, and Nick Pope is back in training but isn’t ready to return from a knee issue. Callum Wilson (hamstring) is out, while Jamaal Lascelles (ACL) and Emil Krafth (broken collarbone) have been long-term casualties.

Talking tactics

Adrian Clarke, writing in the official matchday programme: Newcastle always start in a 4-3-3 with one holding midfielder flanked by a pair of box-to-box players inside the engine room. In recent weeks Sandro Tonali has excelled as the holding player, which has freed up Guimaraes and Joelinton to crash the opposition penalty box a little more often.

In contests against us they tend to play on the back foot, averaging 41% of the ball across our last three meetings. I expect a similar pattern for this cup tie, with their gameplan based around pressing us and forcing quick transitions.

Aggression is at the heart of their philosophy, especially when they face top-six opponents. Inside the middle third they are consistently abrasive, shutting down space and relishing the physical battle. The only top-flight team to regain possession in that domain more often are Bournemouth.

They also have tremendous pace out wide, with Gordon and Jacob Murphy both in confident form, while full-back Lewis Hall has supplied three assists, and his combination with Gordon down their left flank is beginning to blossom. Alexander Isak has scored in each of his last seven matches, and he offers so much with his pace, clinical finishing, clever movement, and skill on the ball.

Facts and stats

We have won all four of our League Cup meetings with Newcastle, scoring 12 goals and conceding none. The last such match saw us win 4-0 at St James’ Park in the 2010/11 fourth round.

We have progressed from three of our last five League Cup semi-final ties. However, we haven’t won the first leg in any of our last seven semi-finals in the competition.

This is only Newcastle’s third appearance in the League Cup semi-finals, but they’ve progressed to the final in each of the previous two (1975/76 vs Tottenham, 2022/23 vs Southampton).

We have scored 11 goals in our three League Cup matches this season, netting at least three each time. We’ve never scored 3+ goals in four consecutive games in the competition.

Gabriel Jesus has been involved in 13 goals in his last nine starts in the League Cup (11 goals, 2 assists).

Alexander Isak could become the first Magpies player to score against us in two different games in a single campaign since Laurent Robert in 2001/02.

Match officials

Craig Pawson has been handed control of this cup tie, and he has been a lucky omen as we’re unbeaten in the last 11 matches he’s refereed, stretching back to September 2021. However we did draw 0-0 against Everton on his only Gunners game this term, which came just over three weeks ago.

In contrast, it will be the fourth time Pawson has overseen the Magpies this season. They beat Southampton on the opening day despite the official sending off Schar in the first half, and he also awarded them a penalty at Everton in another goalless draw. They lost 2-0 at home to West Ham United on his last appointment.

The two legs of this game plus the other semi-final between Liverpool and Tottenham will see a new VAR system trialled, whereby the on-field referee will explain decisions to the crowd via the PA system when he uses the pitchside monitor. This isn’t the case for decisions made not using the monitor.

Referee: Craig Pawson
Assistants: Ian Hussin, Wade Smith
Fourth official: Tony Harrington
OUR: John Brooks

Recent visits from the Magpies

Emirates Stadium hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for Newcastle since we moved in in 2006 as they have won just once on 19 visits, and lost 12 of their last 13 since a 1-0 win in November 2010.

Last season saw us win 4-1 in February, when a Botman own goal was followed by strikes from Havertz, Saka and Jakub Kiwior, putting us in cruise control before former Gunner Joe Willock netted a late consolation, while the campaign before saw a 0-0 draw in January 2023.

We last locked horns in the League Cup in north London back in the 2007/08 season, when Nicklas Bendtner and Denilson grabbed two late goals to send us into the fourth round.

Live coverage

Live from N5 will bring you all the best build-up on Arsenal.com and the official app from 30 minutes before kick-off, when Nicole Holliday and Jeremie Aliadiere will be pitchside at Emirates Stadium to give you a flavour of the pre-match buzz!

Adrian Clarke brings you everything you need to know about Newcastle United ahead of the game, while the team will go over the best bits from social media that you may have missed over the new year.

Nicole and Jeremie bring you their favourite League Cup memories, before they pass over to Adrian and Dan Roebuck who will take you through the action with live commentary.

You can also find out how to watch the action live on TV wherever you are in the world.