“Looks like a decent match tonight, both teams up and down, needing something from their season, given that the title is seemingly destined elsewhere...(to be confirmed),” says Jeremy Boyce. “In other news, there is a tasty match up in the Championship tonight, with Frank’s resurgent play-off contenders Coventry City at home to leaders Leeds66%possessionUnited, both on unbeaten runs and wishing to continue that way. Not many matches, but plenty to anticipate.”.
Eddie Howe talks to Sky Sports. [Do you go at them even with a 2-0 lead?] I think we have to. We don’t know any other way. We can’t change now; I don’t think that would be right. In saying that, we can tweak our way of doing it and we might have to be adaptable today. We need to find a way to win. I think the players need to play the game with emotion but not too much emotion. We need to get the crowd in the game. If we don’t, we’re not utilising a major asset. It needs to be a strong start.
[Are you playing three centre-backs?] It’s an adaptable system! If you look at us play we’re constantly changing position. The formation is important but irrelevant – the attitude has to be right. We’ve got to be brave and we’ve got to be ourselves. Eddie Howe has made two changes from the defeat to Fulham: Kieran Trippier and Sven Botman come in for Tino Livramento and the injured Joelinton. The inclusion of Botman suggests a switch to three centre-backs, though that’s very unlike Eddie Howe. It might be that Fabian Schar moves into midfield.
Arsenal are unchanged. Newcastle (possible 5-2-3) Dubravka; Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn, Hall; Guimaraes, Tonali; Murphy, Isak, Gordon. Substitutes: Pope, Wilson, Targett, Krafth, Osula, Livramento, Willock, Longstaff, Miley. Arsenal (possible 4-3-3) Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Martinelli, Havertz, Trossard. Substitutes: Setford, Calafiori, Zinchenko, Tierney, Kiwior, Jorginho, Merino, Sterling, Nwaneri.
Referee Simon Hooper. “It is going to be another battle and we know how difficult it is to play there. But we have an amazing team and we trust ourselves. We have full confidence in our squad.”. The tie will go to extra time if necessary, then penalties. There’s no away goals rule. VAR is being used. As well as being a terrifyingly long time in politics, a month is also a long time in football. When Newcastle won 2-0 at the Emirates in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final, they looked nailed on to reach their second final in three years. Alexander Isak was Europe’s hottest striker, Newcastle were on a run of seven straight wins and Mikel Arteta was being openly ridiculed for talking balls.
Fast forward four weeks and the landscape looks very different. Newcastle have lost their last two games at home, including a 4-1 shellacking by Bournemouth, and Arsenal are high on life after thrashing Manchester City 5-1 on Sunday. Newcastle are still favourites to progress and move within one game of immortality upon the Tyne. But if any team can head up north for a big game, knowing they need to win by at least two goals, and get the job done, it’s Arsenal.
