Arsenal 0-2 Newcastle: Gunners need Carabao Cup semi-final fightback after rare home defeat

Arsenal suffered their first home defeat of the season as their Wembley hopes were left hanging by a thread following a 2-0 win for Newcastle in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-finals.

The Gunners had not been beaten at the Emirates Stadium since being stunned by Aston Villa last April, but were notably below par in Tuesday night’s huge tie as goals either side of half-time from the red-hot Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon secured a seventh consecutive win across all competitions for the soaring Magpies.

It leaves Mikel Arteta’s side with a huge challenge ahead to overturn the deficit when the two sides meet again for the all-important second-leg clash at St James’ Park - where Arsenal have already lost in the Premier League this season - on February 5.

Arsenal made five changes from the side who dropped more points in the title race with a frustrating 1-1 draw away at Brighton on Saturday evening, Kai Havertz fit to return and lead the attack after missing the last two games through illness as Gabriel Jesus dropped to the bench.

Jurrien Timber returned from suspension and Myles Lewis-Skelly was preferred to Riccardo Calafiori on the opposite side of defence, while captain Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli were both fit to start as Raheem Sterling also returned from injury to earn a place on the bench.

Newcastle, meanwhile, made just one change to the side that beat Tottenham down the road in the top-flight at the weekend, with the suspended Bruno Guimaraes replaced by former Arsenal midfielder Joe Willock as Sven Botman was deemed fit to deputise for the banned Fabian Schar again in defence despite an uncomfortable end to his first appearance for nine months following a serious ACL injury.

It was a lively start to proceedings in north London, with multiple last-ditch blocks inside the Newcastle penalty area and Isak causing the usually strong centre-back partnership of William Saliba and Gabriel all sorts of issues as Arsenal were guilty of being too casual in possession in defence on multiple occasions.

Sandro Tonali slammed over from the edge of the Arsenal box and Timber wasted a glorious chance as he headed Declan Rice’s corner over the crossbar from point-blank range.

Gabriel fired well wide for Arsenal before Martinelli missed their best chance of the first half, racing clear from halfway and beating Botman for pace before smashing against the near post rather than trying to shoot across Martin Dubravka, who was potentially playing his last game for Newcastle ahead of a mooted January transfer to Saudi Arabia with Al-Shabab.

Arsenal kept the pressure up with more last-ditch blocks from the likes of Lewis Hall, Willock and Botman, the latter denying Havertz from close range after another furious penalty-box scramble.

Despite being in the ascendancy, the hosts fell behind after 37 minutes when Botman beat Saliba to a long free-kick from Dubravka and Jacob Murphy flicked the ball into the path of the ruthless Isak, a long-time Arsenal transfer target who thundered past David Raya and in off the underside of the crossbar for his 15th goal of the season and 50th in total for Newcastle.

There were suggestions that Isak had pushed Odegaard before dispatching the ball, but it was not picked up by the officials and was then quickly cleared by the VAR Michael Salisbury.

Arsenal sought a swift response but Odegaard could only hit the wall with a free-kick and Dubravka then denied Gabriel bravely after Rice’s knockdown.

It was all Arsenal at the start of the second half, but they fell two behind against the run of play when they were too slow and ponderous at the back to deal with an incisive Newcastle passing move.

Murphy played a fine pass into Isak, who had a shot saved by the fingertips of Raya before Gordon reacted faster than Timber to turn in the rebound before producing a Thierry Henry-inspired celebration in front of a jubilant away end at the Emirates.

Arsenal produced plenty of endeavour and determination as they frantically searched for a route back into the tie, with Havertz guilty of missing their most glaring opportunity to halve the deficit when the ball bounced wide off his shoulder after he had sought to connect with a heavily deflected Leandro Trossard cross.

They pepped the Newcastle box with dangerous deliveries, substitute Jorginho firing at Joelinton and Martinelli flicking the ball up neatly to blaze off target.

It was cross after cross, blocked shot after blocked shot and corner after corner for Arsenal, but they could not find a way through Newcastle’s dogged defending - eventually mustering 23 shots in total but ending with a higher XG (3.09) than efforts on target (3).

Jorginho sent a ferocious drive narrowly over the crossbar as the Gunners’ comeback efforts largely fizzled out, with Arteta’s side left to stew on their performance and result for a month now with seven key games to come in a pivotal stretch before the second leg on Tyneside - starting with the high-profile visit of Manchester United in the FA Cup third round on Sunday.

Newcastle host fourth-tier Bromley next, further boosted by the knowledge that no team has never lost 2-0 at home in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-finals and made it through to Wembley.