A dream night in North London for Newcastle United, as Eddie Howe’s magnificent Mags head into next month’s Carabao Cup semi-final second leg with a 2-0 lead!
THE best win of the Eddie Howe era? I think it might just be. A famous victory (our SEVENTH on the spin), the perfect away performance and a night we won’t forget, capping off a simply incredible past month for this team.
Against an in-form Toon team missing the suspended Bruno Guimaraes and Fabian Schar, we were organised, brave – both on and off the ball in our blocking, passing and pressing – and a threat in attack against an Arsenal side who struggled to break us down at one end and could not cope with the best striker in the Premier League at the other.
6,000 Mags packed out the away end at the Emirates – a superb effort on a cold Tuesday night the week so many went back to work – and they were treat to a rock solid first half, where huge blocks from Sven Botman and Martin Dubravka were followed by Alexander Isak’s poachers finish to hand us a 1-0 lead at the break.
I had never seen William Saliba and Gabriel so nervous and Isak’s presence sent us into dreamland in the second half, as his shot – via a superb ball from Murphy – was parried by Raya and tapped in by Anthony Gordon to make it 2-0. And that’s how it ended, as we became the first side since Aston Villa (April, 2024) to win at the Emirates.
The second leg will take place at St James’ Park on Wednesday 5th February and although it may feel like we have one foot in the final, there’ll not be a single ounce of complacency heading into next month’s decider.
Howe made just one change from Saturday’s 2-1 win at Spurs and it was a slight surprise. Despite media reports claiming Sean Longstaff was in line to replace the suspended Bruno Guimaraes, former Gunner Joe Willock came into midfield alongside Sandro Tonali and Joelinton.
Botman started again – his second in just four days – and Tino Livramento kept his place at right-back after his superb display at Spurs, keeping Kieran Trippier on the bench. Fabian Schar was absent again, this time through suspension in the cup, but it was a relief to see Botman alongside the usually-reliable Dan Burn.
The first half was near-perfection from a Newcastle perspective. Our shape was superb, we pressed them, limited them to few chances from open play and did brilliantly to thwart them when openings came their way. Timber did head a big chance over from a corner, where they’re notoriously dangerous and Martinelli hit the post after Willock’s poor giveaway, but we also saw a huge block from Botman to deny Havertz and a big save from Dubravka to block Gabriel’s effort.
On the ball, Isak was frightening the life out of the usually unflustered Saliba and Gabriel. They couldn’t get close to him and saw us fail to capitalise on a few openings as Joelinton and Tonali fired over.
But, despite our strong defensive showing and ability to frustrate a blunt Arsenal attack, we were causing them problems, showing class on the ball – Tonali and Hall oozed class – and we weren’t coming to just see out a 0-0 draw, playing with huge confidence in possession.
Then, on 37 minutes, Dubravka’s long ball was flicked on by Botman and guided to Isak by Murphy’s deft touch. The Swede had only Raya to beat and finished expertly, firing in off the bar to hand us a 1-0 lead that sent 6,000 Mags wild at the other end! What a striker – that’s now 15 for the season in all competitions and his 50th goal for the club on his 89th outing.
We now had a lead to protect and, in true Joelinton fashion, the Brazilian went into the book just before the break. One quarter of the tie complete and we were in a superb position, leaving Arsenal with it all to do in the final 45.
If anyone feared we’d spend the second half camped in our own half and settling for one, they’d be wrong, as Gordon continued his stunning run against ‘big six’ sides to double our lead. Tonali and Willock played a key role in the build up before Murphy’s brilliant low cross found Isak. The Swede’s shot forced Raya into a save and Gordon reactd first, tapping in at the back post before celebrating in front of 6,000 Mags going wild in the away end. 2-0!!
Chances followed for Arsenal – Havertz messed up a huge headed chance by shouldering it wide – before substitute Gabriel Jesus headed over. But, we continued to throw black and white shirts in front of the ball whenever Arsenal entered our box and were fighting for our lives to maintain that two-goal advantage.
Howe reacted by making three changes, sensing we had a few too many tired bodies out there after barely rotating over a brilliant but busy festive period. With that, he took off Willock, Isak and Murphy for Longstaff, Kelly and Barnes, giving us another body at the back and some fresh legs in midfield and attack.
Another change came as Gordon – who had scored, worked his socks off and received a booking – was taken off for Miguel Almiron, who came on for a rare cameo and perhaps his last if a January exit is to come anytime soon.
More big blocks and towering headers to clear our lines followed, as did five minutes of added time, which we saw out expertly, as the outstanding Hall and Livramento stepped in with two more vital clearances as Arsenal threw cross after cross into the box.
A final word for Martin Dubravka. If reports coming from Saudi Arabia are correct, this may have been his last game for the club as a move to Al-Shabab edges closer. If so, it’s been an incredible end to his time at Newcastle United, with just two goals conceded in his last seven games seeing the Slovakian fill in expertly for the injured Nick Pope over a festive period and start to 2025 we’ll never forget.
After the full-time whistle, it looked like a wave goodbye as he got emotional in front of the travelling Toon Army.
Newcastle XI: Dubravka – Livramento, Botman, Burn, Hall – Willock, Tonali, Joelinton – Murphy, Isak, Gordon. SUBS: Vlachodimos, Trippier, Barnes, Targett, Osula, Almiron, Kelly, Longstaff, Miley.
Arsenal XI: Raya – Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly – Odegaard, Partey, Rice – Martinelli, Havertz, Trossard. SUBS: Porter, Zinchenko, Tierney, Kiwior, Calafiori, Jorginho, Merino, Sterling, Jesus.
Next up, three-straight games at St James’ Park, with Bromley (FA Cup on Sunday) followed by Premier League games against Wolves (Wednesday) and Bournemouth (Saturday) next week.
Howay the lads.
It just keeps getting better and better.
What a shift the lads put in tonight! everyone of them!
Great!!
nutmag(Quote)
Speechless. spurs manure and arsenal in a week. Never seen it before in a lifetime of watching this bonkers club
🤍🖤
Jonesy(Quote)
Well that was brilliant!!.
Sharpy17(Quote)
I’ve waited over eighty years to feel this good again!!!
(that’s about NUFC )
nutmag(Quote)
Such a good performance bar a short spell of being under pressure. Let’s hope we finish the job at SJP.
kimtoon(Quote)
We have a proper football team now!! Yes we will have ups & downs in form but we have a proper football team.
Teams don’t go to Arsenal and do what we did to them last night – and yes we got lucky at times, but we also executed the perfect game plan.
People will say they miss Saka – but we were without Bruno & Schar last night too 🤷🏼♂️.
Martin Dubravka 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 thank you mate. I’ve no idea whose plan it is to let him leave & maybe it’s a mutual decision because to be fair he’s too good to play back up to Pope. But he’s a HUGE reason for our up turn in form. He’s been brilliant & a fine servant to the club – best of luck with what life brings mate 🖤🤍
Sharpy17(Quote)
My team to play at the weekend:
———-——- Vlachodimos —————-
Trippier – Heffernan – Kelly – Target
—- Longstaff — Miley — Willock ——
Almiron —————————— Barnes
———————- Osula ———————
I think it’s important to give our senior players a rest – especially the likes of Burn, Isak & Gordon who have played a lot of football & could do with a break.
I’d like to see us play some of our youngsters but think that’s a good balance – though I could see Schar playing instead of Heffernan
Sharpy17(Quote)
There’s so much good commentary analysing the performance last night it’s hard to find new things to say.
I’m going to reserve my thoughts for BDB and Eddie Howe
For BDB to captain nufc to win in that sleepy heap in north London is the stuff of dreams only made better by knowing it came after wins at mouldy ratford and the nfl bauble. He really is living the dream. I suspect this will be his last season as a regular and he should savour it.
Eddie Howe nailed it in his A-Z game plan and then again in his press conference when he talked about valuing players. Last night showed how his management and trust in fringe players pays dividends as they saw out the last 20 mins. He is such a thoughtful and intelligent leader and deserves much more recognition than he is given
HTL
Jonesy(Quote)
Jonesy – agree with your comments on Howe, but you make Burn sound like a competition winner 😂
Sharpy17(Quote)
I really enjoyed that win yesterday. I have to say though, that I feel sorry for those poor Arsenal players forced to use a ball that was so very different to the normal balls used. Maybe next time, we can share our ball with them as our players seemed to manage quite well. Bless! 🙄😂😂😂😂
Gilly Toon(Quote)
Gilly – it’s beyond mental isn’t it?! and the journos entertained these comments 🤯.
That bloke is the most overrated manager in the league!!.
He’s won a cup that they were already in the semis or even final of when he took over – but he takes credit for!!. Then claims charity cups are trophies too 🤨.
Eric Ten Haag was a more successful manager during his disastrous spell at MU.
His success this season is off the back of one of his coaches mastering corners – and even then they aren’t in the title race. But he gets excused coz a player is out injured, or coz Edu left the club 🙄.
Sharpy17(Quote)
I watched a podcast today with Carra & Scholes talking about club finances – can’t remember its name.
But the expert fella said that every club in the PL is struggling to post profits – all except WHU – because the government are paying for their stadium … and by the government I mean all us tax payers 😡😡.
Their handling of the manager has been a disgrace this last 24 hours and Potter is NOT the answer!!. If he was, why not hire him in the summer 🤷🏼♂️.
Sharpy17(Quote)
I’m just waiting for Liverpool to complain about the different ball since they lost the game 😬😂
I’d much rather face Spurs in the final than Liverpool that’s for sure, but I hope we can manage to get training on all those different balls out there.
Gilly Toon(Quote)
I know it’s said a lot, but VAR is so broken.
The headlines this morning are ‘history made’ coz the ref verbalised the outcome of his review – big deal.
The simple fact of the matter is that despite more officiating than the game has ever seen – a player who should have been sent off ends up winning the game!!.
THAT should be the talking point today. Why are they STILL getting this SO badly wrong?!?!!.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Did you not dream of captaining the toon to wins like that one on Tuesday when you were a nippa 😳
Aye burn has won the toon lotto
Jonesy(Quote)
Jonesy – of course I do mate. I’m only pulling your leg coz your comments don’t really say anything about how well he’s been playing rather that he’s living the dream – hence competition winner 🤷🏼♂️😂
Sharpy17(Quote)
🤣
kimtoon(Quote)
How can City still make signings when they are under investigation??
Talk Chelsea are keen to make signings this month too?!.
Sharpy17(Quote)
I honestly can’t believe that either the club of a journalist hasn’t made more of our ridiculous situation with PSR in the summer.
The fact we paid £24m for Odysseas Vlachodimos – a goal keeper we did not want – just to scrap by PSR.
That £20m more than Forest paid for him & I don’t remember them playing him too much so he certainly didn’t increase £20m in value.
As a result Forest bought Anderson for £41m (according to transfermarkt) which is a good price for a player we weren’t playing much – but were developing & he absolutely had the potential to be a first team squad regular.
That of course is a how transfers work, I get that.
My issue is more that it was business forced on us while other clubs like Man Utd get assists from the PL to get round the rules. WHU get assistance from the government for the cost of their stadium and clubs like City & Chelsea have breached rules for over 10 years and have still not been punished.
What kind of cover up is going on here that nobody is talking about how wrong this all is??.
There needs to be an investigation into the PL in my opinion.
Sharpy17(Quote)
So City have agreed a £33.5m deal for the young CB we were looking at whilst under investigation – sounds fair to me 🤷🏼♂️
Sharpy17(Quote)
Fully agree with all of that Sharpy. Incredible how nothing is getting done about it.
Gilly Toon(Quote)