The Carabao Cup semi-finals begin on Tuesday evening as Arsenal host Newcastle United at the Emirates.
These bilateral showdowns will decide who will compete 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 matches this weekend, but were disappointed to only manage a draw at Brighton. They remain in the Premier League title race, although Mikel Arteta could 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’ first Arsenal hat-trick in a 3-2 victory over Crystal Palace.
Newcastle also beat Premier League opposition to advance to the semi-finals, with the Magpies benefiting from Thomas Frank’s heavy rotation with his team on Tyneside. Eddie Howe’s side won 3-1 at home to Brentford, and they have continued to win ever since.
Five consecutive Premier League wins put Newcastle in fifth place in the table and they once again look like a team capable of messing with the aristocracy.
Here is 90 minutes guide to Tuesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final first leg.
Arsenal vs Newcastle H2H results (last five matches)
Current form (all competitions)
Arsenal | Newcastle |
|---|---|
Brighton 1-1 Arsenal – 04/01/25 | Tottenham 1-2 Newcastle – 04/01/25 |
Brentford 1-3 Arsenal – 01/01/25 | Man Utd 0-2 Newcastle – 12/30/24 |
Arsenal 1-0 Ipswich – 27/12/24 | Newcastle 3-0 Aston Villa – 12/26/24 |
Crystal Palace 1-5 Arsenal – 12/21/24 | Ipswich 0-4 Newcastle – 12/21/24 |
Arsenal 3-2 Crystal Palace – 12/18/24 | Newcastle 3-1 Brentford – 18/12/24 |
Country | TV Channel/Live Stream |
|---|---|
United Kingdom | Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football, Sky Ultra HD, NOW TV, SKY GO Extra, SKY GO, ITV1, ITVX |
UNITED STATES | Paramount+ |
Canada | DAZN Canada |
The Arsenal squad were struck by illness last week, with Kai Havertz missing the Gunners’ two previous outings. Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard and Declan Rice are also believed to have been affected.
Arteta will hope his players will be in better shape on Tuesday given the physique Newcastle possess.
On the injury front, Ethan Nwaneri is out for several weeks after suffering a muscle problem at Brighton. The teenager joins Bukayo Saka, Raheem Sterling, Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu in the treatment room.
Jurrien Timber is eligible for return from suspension.
Arsenal predicted lineup against Newcastle (4-3-3):Raya; Wood, 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 returning for the second time from a long-term knee injury. The centre-back could be forced to make another start in quick succession with Fabian Schar still suspended.
There could be a midfield shakeup given the minutes Howe’s starters have spent in recent weeks. Bruno Guimaraes is suspended, so former Gunner Joe Willock could join the team. Harvey Barnes could also be moved to the front row, but Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon are expected to keep their places.
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; Book, Schar, Burn, Hall; Tonali, Joelinton, Willock; Gordon, Isak, Barnes.
This looks like a big game for Arsenal, who will need 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 boss baffle his Spanish counterpart on several occasions since taking the Magpies job.
Arsenal have failed to score in three of the previous five meetings against Newcastle.
Tuesday’s visitors returned to their meanest and most potent form, but Howe will need to rotate for the sake of a long-term win in midweek, which should open the door for the hosts.
They will have to fight their way out, but Arsenal’s desperation could see them cross the finish line at home. Whether a one-goal advantage will be enough is another story.
