The Carabao Cup semi-finals get underway on Tuesday night as Arsenal host Newcastle United at the Emirates.
These two-legged affairs will decide who will compete for glory at Wembley in March, with the winner of this tie facing either Tottenham or Liverpool under the famous arch.
Arsenal extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to 13 games at the weekend but were disappointed to only earn a draw at Brighton. They remain in the Premier League title race, although Mikel Arteta may 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’ maiden Arsenal hat-trick in 3-2 win over Crystal Palace.
Newcastle also crashed Premier League opposition to reach the semi-finals, with the Magpies benefiting from Thomas Frank rotating his squad heavily on Tyneside. Eddie Howe’s side won 3-1 at home to Brentford and have continued to win since then.
Five straight Premier League wins have taken Newcastle up to fifth in the table and once again they look like a team capable of mixing with the aristocracy.
Here it is 90 minutes guide for Tuesday Carabao Cup semi-final first leg.
Arsenal – Newcastle H2H Results (Last Five Matches)
Current form (all competitions)
|
Arsenal |
Newcastle |
|---|---|
|
Brighton 1-1 Arsenal – 01/04/25 |
Tottenham Hotspur 1-2 Newcastle – 01/04/25 |
|
Brentford 1-3 Arsenal – 01/01/25 |
Man Utd 0-2 Newcastle – 30/12/24 |
|
Arsenal 1-0 Ipswich – 27/12/24 |
Newcastle 3-0 Aston Villa – 26/12/24 |
|
Crystal Palace 1-5 Arsenal – 21/12/24 |
Ipswich 0-4 Newcastle – 21/12/24 |
|
Arsenal 3-2 Crystal Palace – 18/12/24 |
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 |
Arsenal’s squad was hit by illness last week, with Kai Havertz missing the Gunners’ previous two outings as a result. Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard and Declan Rice were also affected.
Arteta will be hoping his players are in better shape on Tuesday given Newcastle’s fitness.
On the injury front, Ethan Nwaneri has been sidelined for several weeks with a muscle problem Brighton. The teenager is joined by Bukayo Saka, Raheem Sterling, Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu in the treatment room.
Jurrien Timber is eligible to return from suspension.
Arsenal predicted line-up against Newcastle (4-3-3): Raya? Timbers, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Partey, Rice, Odegaard; Martinelli, Jesus, Trossard.
Howe will have been pleased with what he saw from Sven Botman on Saturday, with the Dutchman making his second return from a long-term knee injury. The centre-back may be forced into a fresh start in quick succession with Fabian Schar remaining shut out.
There could be a midfield reshuffle given the minutes Howe’s starters have been getting in recent weeks. Bruno Guimaraes has been sent off, so former Gunner Joe Willock could come into the squad. Harvey Barnes may also rotate in the front line, but Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon should keep their spots.
The visitors are still without Callum Wilson, Jamaal Lascelles and Emil Krafth. Nick Pope doubts it.
Newcastle predicted line-up against Arsenal (4-3-3): Dubravka? Livramento, Schar, Burn, Hall; Tonali, Joelinton, Willock; Gordon, Isaac, Barnes.
This looks like a big game for Arsenal, who will need to go ahead with them at St James’ Park in February. Howe, on the other hand, will be content with a draw and we’ve seen the Newcastle boss irritate his Spanish counterpart on a number of occasions since taking over the Caracas job.
Arsenal have failed to score in three of their previous five meetings with Newcastle.
Tuesday’s visitors are back to their nastiest and strongest form, but Howe will need to make a switch for the sake of a long-term midweek win that will open the door for the home side.
They should overcome it, but Arsenal’s desperation may see them over the line at home. Whether a one goal advantage will be enough is a different story.
