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Ed Aarons was at the Emirates tonight, and his report is in. Here it is! Thanks for reading this MBM. Nighty night.
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Eddie Howe talks to ITV. “Very pleased … it was a tough game for us … (Isak) was feeling his hamstring a bit at half-time so we had to manage him in the second half and that was a big blow to our performance … we rode our luck at times … we got the small details right … our mentality to defend with the blocked shots, the heroic pieces of defending … it’s great for us for the future.”
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Mikel Arteta speaks to Sky Sports. “(Being more clinical) was the biggest difference in the game … from any other aspect we were the better team, but this is about scoring goals … deflected goals … they managed to win the game … we tried in various ways … we generated different situations … we found chances … one versus one situations with the keeper … you have to be clinical … the way the team tries every three days is unbelievable … the result they don’t deserve … you have seen my team … I have full belief that we can do it (in the second leg).”
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Alexander Isak speaks to Sky Sports. “It’s a team thing … we are very solid defensively … then we have the quality up front … I just try to be in the right place to finish the attacks … it’s just halfway … we can do the same job at St James’ Park.”
Dan Burn adds: “To get a result here you’re going to have to defend set pieces well … they’re so good at them … everyone was brilliant … they’ve had chances … I’m sure they deserved a goal but throwing bodies on the line has managed to get us over … the way we defended in the second half was brilliant … they’ve got nothing to lose coming to St James’ so we’ll have to be ready for it.”
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The stats tell a story. Arsenal had an xG of 3.09 but only three of their 23 attempts at goal were on target. Newcastle, whose xG was 1.22, only took seven shots at goal, but four were on target, and two went in. The Gunners really struggling in front of goal at the moment, with recent struggles against Fulham, Everton, Ipswich, Brighton and now Newcastle.
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That’s such a big result for Newcastle, who feel the love in front of their fans. A mutual love-in as everyone applauds each other. Nothing too excitable, though, because there’s still a second leg to play at St James’ Park early next month. But they’re strong favourites to make March’s final now, after a magnificent performance. One for the ages. They soaked up a lot of Arsenal pressure without too much drama, while notching a couple of clinical goals. Alexander Isak scored one and set up the other for Anthony Gordon, and a first domestic trophy for the Toon since 1955 gets that little bit closer. They thoroughly deserved their victory, their seventh on the bounce. Arsenal were far from clinical, by contrast, and their 13-game unbeaten run comes to an abrupt end. They’ve got a mountain to climb in the second leg; accordingly, Mikel Arteta walks off with a face like thunder.
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FULL TIME: Arsenal 0-2 Newcastle United
The Toon have one foot in the Wembley final!
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90 min +5: Livramento is booked for time-wasting over a throw. Jesus slips over in the box and claims a penalty but there’s nothing doing there.
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90 min +4: Arsenal have finally run out of ideas. Newcastle more than comfortable.
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90 min +3: … but it’s no good.
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90 min +2: Saliba probes down the right and wins a corner off Joelinton. It’s Arsenal’s 11th of the night. Odegaard to take.
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90 min +1: The first of five additional minutes passes without incident.
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90 min: Barnes loops a pass down the inside-left channel in the hope of releasing Almiron. He’d be clean through, but Almiron can’t control. Then the flag goes up for offside anyway.
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89 min: Rice attempts a curler towards the top right. Tonali blocks. Newcastle are standing firm in their two banks of five. So close now to a huge victory.
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87 min: Jorginho pearls a fine effort goalwards from the edge of the D. He connects well but it’s always rising over the bar. Not my much, mind. Arsenal will wonder how they’ve not scored at least a consolation. They’ve come close on several occasions … but the cutting edge has been lacking.
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86 min: Almiron trips Rice as the Arsenal man sails down the left. He’s lucky that he’s not booked, and nothing comes of the resulting free kick.
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85 min: Arsenal attempt to exert some more pressure, but Jesus petulantly shoulder-charges Tonali from behind on the edge of the box, and the whistle goes for a free kick, the clock ticking on. “Despite McGhee-to-Quinn being reincarnated in the form of Murphy-to-Isak tonight, now that Newcastle are in the 5-1-4-0 formation and have done away with the pre-historic ‘False 9’ it feels like we’ve gone full circle tactically,” observes Chris Paraskevas. “Fully expecting Kieran Trippier to lead out a set-piece team from the bench to close things out, gridiron-style.”
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83 min: One corner leads to another, then Gabriel skies a shot over the bar from the edge of the D. Dubravka takes his sweet time over the goal kick, with a grim-faced Mikel Arteta staring at his watch theatrically on the touchline.
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82 min: Zinchenko loops down the inside-left channel and finds Havertz, who attempts an instant whip goalwards. The ball pings out for a corner. Rice to deliver.
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80 min: Zinchenko is booked for taking down an in-flight Joelinton.
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79 min: Newcastle are sitting back in a 5-5 formation. Keep what they have. But then Tonali bursts out of defence and tries to round Saliba, but goes down instead. He wants a free kick but the referee’s not buying it. Arsenal respond through Jorginho, who dinks down the inside-right channel for Havertz. Havertz tries to hook infield for Jesus, but can only find Dubravka.
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78 min: Lewis-Skelly makes way for Zinchenko.
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77 min: Arsenal knock it around the back patiently. Jorginho eventually plays a speculative ball down the inside-right channel in the hope of releasing Jesus. Burn shepherds the ball out for a goal kick without fuss.
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Updated at 16.51 EST
75 min: Almiron comes on for Gordon.
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73 min: Some choice slapstick comedy as Barnes dribbles fast down the inside-left channel. He’s got Tonali in the middle, but upon entering the box, loses all control of his feet, then despite some heroic efforts to stay upright, falls clumsily on the ball. Free kick and some much-needed light relief for Arsenal’s fans.
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72 min: It’s Martinelli’s turn to win a corner down the left. Rice delivers a better one this time, but Dubravka punches it clear with confidence.
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70 min: Rice bustles into the Newcastle box from the left and wins another corner. He’s been sending some nice ones into the mixer … but this one goes awry, slapping into the side netting. He cocks his head back in the Pez dispenser style and screams to the heavens.
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68 min: Some more pinball in the Newcastle box. Jorginho and Martinelli take turns to shoot, but the ball eventually flies out harmlessly for a goal kick. Arteta applauds his team, who are beginning to ask questions again.
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67 min: Longstaff’s first act is to forcefully win the ball off Jesus, who goes to ground looking for a free kick he’s never going to get. The trenchant reaction of Arsenal’s fans and the frown of their manager betrays a lot of frustration.
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65 min: A triple change for Newcastle. Isak, Murphy and Willock make way for Barnes, Longstaff and Kelly.
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64 min: Rice hits the corner long. Saliba rises at the far stick, but heads over from six yards. Arsenal have missed some chances tonight.
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Updated at 16.34 EST
63 min: Jorginho and Havertz shuttle the ball down the middle of the park for Rice, who takes a whack from 25 yards. The shot deflects off Willock and out to the left for a corner. Rice will take it himself.
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61 min: Timber crosses from the right. Dubravka tries to kick clear, a strange decision. Rice slides in and attempts to force home. The ball squirts past the keeper, but Botman clears off the line. Then the flag pops up, Timber having been offside after all. Rice smiles wryly.
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60 min: Arsenal make a double change, sending on Jesus and Jorginho in place of Partey and Trossard.
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59 min: Trossard crosses from the right. The ball takes a huge looping deflection off Hall’s extended leg, dropping towards Havertz, on his own, six yards out. But he misses his header, shouldering it wide right of the target. What an absurd miss!
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Updated at 16.27 EST
58 min: Livramento slips Tonali into space down the right. Tonali whistles a low cross into the mixer. Raya gets down to turn it clear, though the ball could easily have sailed into the line of Gordon. Newcastle so close to a third goal.
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56 min: Rice delivers. Dubravka flaps – again. But the whistle offers the keeper relief, because several Arsenal players had gone too early. Offside.
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55 min: Martinelli takes advantage of Burn’s slip to dribble away down the right. Gordon, tracking back, scythes his man from behind and goes into the book. A free kick, and a chance for Arsenal to line up on the edge of the Newcastle box in anticipation of Rice’s delivery.
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53 min: Well that’s suddenly plonked Newcastle well and truly in the driving seat. Arsenal need something and quickly. A couple of their big names combine in the hope of an instant response. Rice heads down for Odegaard, who shoots towards the bottom left from 12 yards. The ball’s deflected out for a corner, from which nothing comes.
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GOAL! Arsenal 0-2 Newcastle United (Gordon 51)
Newcastle pass the ball around patiently. Suddenly they burst into life. Isak playing a mid-range one-two with Murphy down the right. He enters the box and shoots low and hard towards the bottom left. Raya parries, but only into the road of Gordon, who bundles into the net and doubles Newcastle’s lead!
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Updated at 16.20 EST
49 min: It’s been all Arsenal since the restart in terms of possession, but Newcastle are holding their shape with calm confidence.
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47 min: The xG from the first half had Arsenal winning 1.96 to 0.9. But it’s Newcastle who have the actual goal. It’s their first ever against Arsenal in League Cup competition. The teams have met on five previous occasions, Arsenal winning the lot to the aggregate tune of 12-0. Isak breaking new ground tonight.
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Arsenal get the second half underway. No changes.
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Alexander Isak scored his 50th goal for Newcastle United tonight. It’s only taken him 89 matches to reach the milestone, and that puts him in elite company. Here are the four fastest to 50 for the Toon in the Premier League era (courtesy of Sky Sports):
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Half-time postbag. “I was just about to email you that Arsenal were attacking with fluidity reminiscent of Wengerball, and then they go one-nil down to a set piece. Ah well, maybe there’s some value to Arteta’s modern Grahamball” – Kári Tulinius
“The CBS Sports commentator followed the half-time whistle by remarking that ‘So far, Arsenal don’t have the answers’, which is fitting since the name of Newcastle’s in-form Swedish striker is an anagram of ‘I ask’” – Peter Oh
“Mick Harford was indeed a very hard man, but even he struggled to be the hardest man in the Birmingham City side of the early 80s. He faced stiff competition from a team of shrinking violets which included Tony Coton, Noel Blake, Robert Hopkins, Pat Van Den Hauwe and Mark Dennis. You wouldn’t want to meet them on a football pitch or on a night out” – Ian Burch
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HALF TIME: Arsenal 0-1 Newcastle United
Arsenal have hit the post, and caused several stramashes in the Newcastle box. But the Toon have played adventurously as well, and it’s the visitors who take a lead into the dressing room at the break. An entertaining game.
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45 min +1: The first of two additional minutes. Trossard goes down in the vicinity of Gordon and wants a free kick, but there’s little contact and he’s not getting it.
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45 min: Odegaard sends a long diagonal from the right to the far stick. Rice cushions down for Gabriel, whose shot from six yards is well parried by Dubravka. So close! Again!
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44 min: The free kick’s just to the left of centre, just outside the D. Odegaard slams an uncharacteristically witless effort straight into the wall.
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Updated at 15.50 EST
43 min: A loose ball rolled in from the Arsenal left. Partey snaffles it and advances towards the edge of the Newcastle D. He prepares to shoot only to be nudged from behind by Joelinton. Partey doesn’t go down immediately, but after considering taking a shot, falls belatedly instead, cashing in his free-kick chip. Joelinton goes into the book.
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41 min: The Newcastle fans are making a lot of noise right now. A first domestic trophy since 1955 one baby step closer.
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39 min: That’ll hit Arsenal hard. They had spent the previous few minutes getting closer and closer to scoring the opening goal themselves, but now look!
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GOAL! Arsenal 0-1 Newcastle United (Isak 37)
It’s that man again! Dubravka launches a long free kick towards the Arsenal box from inside his own half. At the edge of the box, Burn flicks the header down the inside-right channel for Murphy, who rolls the ball first-time to Isak on his left. Isak roofs from 12 yards. Easy as that!
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Updated at 15.44 EST
35 min: Arsenal take their turn to enjoy some sterile possession. Newcastle will be content enough with that: they did well to survive that earlier Arsenal spurt without conceding and must appreciate the breather.
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33 min: Newcastle need to stem the flow, and try to launch a counter through Isak and Gordon down the left. Isak tries to ping his team-mate clear, but Gordon knows he’s offside and the move breaks down.
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31 min: Rice sends the corner into the six-yard box. Dubravka flaps and misses. Just about everyone is in the six-yard box, and a ludicrous game of pinball breaks out. Amid the melee, Timber attempts a Denis Law-style back-heel, then Havertz tries to force home but Botman blocks. Newcastle eventually hack clear. Complete nonsense, but great fun.
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Updated at 15.33 EST
30 min: Arsenal have suddenly moved through the gears, and now Odegaard shoots from the edge of the Newcastle box. His effort is blocked and deflected out for a corner. Rice to send this one in from the left.
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29 min: Rice, Partey and Trossard shuttle the ball up the inside-right channel from deep, a gorgeous one-touch passing move. Trossard then instantly flippers Martinelli clear from the halfway line! Martinelli races towards the box, and crashes a shot past Dubravka … but off the right-hand upright. Such a shame, that would have been a glorious goal.
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