Newcastle nerves were booted into touch as quickly as Arsenal were as Eddie Howe and his players did the job, writes CRAIG HOPE as Magpies reach Carabao Cup final with 4-0 aggregate win
Newcastle nerves were booted into touch as quickly as Arsenal were as Eddie Howe and his players did the job, writes CRAIG HOPE as Magpies reach Carabao Cup final with 4-0 aggregate win
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When Anthony Gordon scored the goal that would have crashed any website still offering trains and planes to London on the third weekend in March, he picked up a black-and-white scarf and whipped it above his head in front of the Gallowgate End. The winger was on message, for the locals had brought those scarves to wave, not wear. Extra layers were not needed here, you see. Not amid a furnace of rampant noise and febrile anticipation. Nerves? Those were booted into touch as quickly as Arsenal were.
![[The England international's strike was ably assisted by a clumsy pass by No1 David Raya]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/02/05/21/94905475-14365185-image-a-66_1738790424296.jpg)
A bitter, February night it may have been, but this was black-and-white hot from the off. One bare-chested Geordie in the Gallowgate looked like he had a sweat on in the closing stages. Or were those tears? It was that sort of occasion, laced with emotion. They knew what was at stake, a place in a Wembley final and the prospect of ending a domestic trophy drought that has extended to the biblical definition of a lifetime - three score years and ten. Their prayers were answered. Not that Newcastle needed heavenly intervention. Eddie Howe and his players did the job themselves, during a brave and brilliant first leg in North London and bold and boisterous return here.
![[Arsenal's hope of overturning the deficit was snuffed out halfway into the first-half on the road]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/02/05/21/94905015-14365185-image-a-58_1738789575765.jpg)
By the time the Toon Army chorused, ‘Mikel Arteta, it must be the ball’ - the Arsenal boss had said it was to blame for defeat in the first game - they were having great fun. It was 2-0 on the night, 4-0 on aggregate, and while they waved those scarves in one hand, they searched for London hotels in the other. This, though, was the easy part. Easier than it should have been, really, given Arsenal had made noises about coming to Tyneside and scoring another five goals, like they did against Manchester City on Sunday. Five? They did not manage one across three hours.
![[Jacob Murphy's goal within the first 20 minutes helped spark a confident night in Newcastle]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/02/05/21/94905063-14365185-image-a-56_1738789564021.jpg)
Anthony Gordon was the hero of the hour as he doubled Newcastle's lead to send them to the Carabao Cup final. The England international's strike was ably assisted by a clumsy pass by No1 David Raya. Arsenal's hope of overturning the deficit was snuffed out halfway into the first-half on the road. But for Newcastle, the hard part is bringing home that silverware. They have done this before, negotiated semi-finals. Five times, in fact, since that last domestic trophy in 1955. And five times they have been beaten in a Wembley final.
![[Eddie Howe's side entered the tie with a 2-0 aggregate lead and were quick to show their teeth]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/02/05/21/94905029-14365185-image-a-57_1738789570516.jpg)
With the likes of Gordon and Alexander Isak, never will they have a better chance. Isak did not score, but he and Gordon were the game's best players. Arsenal don’t have an Isak. They didn’t have a Sven Botman, Sandro Tonali or Bruno Guimaraes, either. To a man, Newcastle were better, like they were at the Emirates. Howe had vowed to play front-foot, aggressive football on the eve of the game, urging his players not to change their approach. He then named five at the back for the first time this season. The loss of Joelinton to a knee injury, his aggravator-in-chief, was an irritation the Newcastle boss could have done without. It felt like a heavyweight being asked to remove their mouthguard moments before the bell.
![[The feisty clash at St James' Park came on the heels of a sticky home run for the hosts]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/02/05/21/94905009-14365185-image-a-59_1738789579603.jpg)
But Howe was good to his word, his team came out swinging. They had the ball in the net within four minutes, Isak sweeping into the top corner, and St James’ celebrated as if landing the knockout blow. A VAR offside lifted Arsenal from the canvas. Still, you wondered which team was chasing the two-goal deficit. While Newcastle went for the kill, Arsenal were trying to kill the clock. The tactic, clearly, was to survive the early barrage of home blows. They failed.
![[Alexander Isak thought that he had opened the scoring less than five minutes into the match]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/02/05/21/94905061-14365185-image-a-60_1738789583782.jpg)
Just as they were starting to show some ambition, to glove up themselves, they got a bloody nose. Martin Odegaard hit the post at one end, with a chance he should have scored, and 30 seconds later Jacob Murphy hit the back of the net at the other, with a chance he had every right to miss. Anthony Gordon, as he had done for Isak’s disallowed goal, set the Swede clear. He cracked the angle of post and bar and the rebound presented Murphy with what looked an ugly angle. But for those behind the Leazes End goal, readying to duck, it was a beautiful sight as the winger cushioned home.
![[But miked up referee Simon Hooper confirmed that Newcastle had been offside with VAR chalking off the goal]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/02/05/21/94905027-14365185-image-a-61_1738789587833.jpg)
This tie was about so much more, but Isak versus Kai Havertz felt like an apt microcosm of it. Arsenal were terrified of Isak in the first leg and those at the back played as if suffering from PTSD. The goal he had chalked off served notice of his threat in behind, yet another run off the shoulder of William Saliba led to the opener. It was not just in behind, he was causing problems short and wide, too.
![[Howe's players were in control for large swathes of the match as the hosts kept calm at home]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/02/05/21/94906367-14365185-image-a-70_1738791691820.jpg)
Jacob Murphy's goal within the first 20 minutes helped spark a confident night in Newcastle. Eddie Howe's side entered the tie with a 2-0 aggregate lead and were quick to show their teeth. The feisty clash at St James' Park came on the heels of a sticky home run for the hosts. Alexander Isak thought that he had opened the scoring less than five minutes into the match. But miked up referee Simon Hooper confirmed that Newcastle had been offside with VAR chalking off the goal.
![[Martin Odegaard cut a despondent figure in the first-half as Arsenal failed to put away chances]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/02/05/21/94905031-14365185-image-a-62_1738789594549.jpg)