Newcastle United on Tuesday took a giant stride toward the EFL Cup final, with goals from Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon earning a 2-0 semi-final, first-leg lead against Arsenal.
The Magpies have never previously won the competition and have had to wait since 1969 to celebrate any major trophy.
However, in Isak they have the form striker in England and he rifled home the opener then helped tee up the second for Gordon.
Photo: AP
Arsenal have a mountain to climb with the sides to meet for the second leg on Feb. 5 if they are to progress to meet either Tottenham Hotspur or Liverpool in the final.
“It’s massive. It’s a great result, but it’s only the first half,” Isak said after Newcastle’s seventh consecutive win and first at the Emirates since 2010. “If we don’t go through then this has no meaning.”
The importance of silverware to both clubs was reflected in the lineups as Mikel Arteta and Eddie Howe named their strongest available teams.
Photo: AFP
Arteta has brought Arsenal back into contention for Premier League titles in recent seasons, but his only trophy in charge of the Gunners came five years ago by lifting the FA Cup in the early months of his reign.
The home side welcomed back Kai Havertz, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli from the side who started Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion, but Arsenal’s lack of a lethal striker like Isak proved the difference between the sides.
Arsenal had the majority of the ball and the chances, but failed to make them count.
Photo: Reuters
“That was the biggest difference in the game. In every other aspect, we were the better team,” Arteta said of his side’s wasted chances. “I have full belief. I have seen my team playing against them. I believe we can do it.”
Martinelli came closest when he raced onto Leandro Trossard’s pass and smashed against the post.
Moments later came the sucker punch. Arsenal, so renowned for their own set-piece threat, allowed a long free-kick into their box to fall at the feet of Isak, who fired in off the underside of the bar.
Photo: Reuters
The Swede’s 14th goal in his past 15 games took him to 50 in a Newcastle shirt — doing so in five fewer matches than it took the club’s record goalscorer Alan Shearer.
Isak had a major role to play in what could be a decisive second goal in the tie just after the break.
This time the Newcastle striker’s quick feet allowed him to get a shot off that was parried by David Raya into the path of the onrushing Gordon to fire in the rebound.
Arsenal should still have made their mammoth task for the return leg in Tyneside next month a more manageable one.
Havertz somehow miscued a header wide with the goal gaping to cut the arrears.
Howe replaced Isak and Gordon as Newcastle were happy to just to protect their lead in a 5-5-0 formation for the final 20 minutes.
Arsenal lacked the guile to break them down without the injured Bukayo Saka to seemingly extend their wait for Arteta’s revolution to deliver another trophy.
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