Newcastle started the week off right with a clear-headed 4–1 win that starts their defense of the Carabao Cup and sets up a fourth-round match with Tottenham Hotspur. And if you came looking for a book of ra bonus, put that tab away for now. The real jackpot on Tyneside is the meeting with Arsenal at St James’ Park on Sunday, when standards, depth, and momentum will all be put to the test.

What they really got last night

Goals and rhythm. Both Joelinton and Will Osula scored twice, which gave them both confidence and a good score. The performance was confident without being too much, and after the first few minutes, the contest felt under control. Not miles, but minutes. The tempo looked steady instead of frantic, which was good since it was a short time until Sunday.Functional details became clearer. It’s worth bringing cleaner passes through the first press, faster restarts, and running off the nine directly into the league game. The way ahead. The draw gave Newcastle Spurs at home in the next round, which is a better opponent that doesn’t require travel.

On Sunday at St. James’ Park, you’ll need to switch gears.

Under Arteta, Arsenal comes with their usual goal. The situation at home is simple: Newcastle needs to turn their cup success into Premier League success against a team that punishes mistakes and slow restarts. The setting and timing are important—St. James’ Park on a Sunday—where an early surge can change the small moments if the intensity is right.

The puzzle of who to pick after the cup

This is where last night meets Sunday:

Newness vs. fluency. Anyone who scored 90 goals in the middle of the week is a candidate for rotation, but it’s hard to break up a front line that scores goals.

Balance in the middle third. Pairings that quickly moved the ball forward in the cup may be able to earn trust again, but there is a risk of losing control if the duel goes on for too long.

Effect on the bench. It’s possible to have one ball-carrier and one runner as game-state subs instead of starting both. Arsenal games often change in the 65th minute.

Set pieces and changes as deciding factors

This fixture usually has two levers that move it. Balls that are dead. Newcastle’s delivery and crowd pressure on second contacts can lead to more corners. Aim for the dart at the near post and the late blockers at the edges of the zone.Windows for transition. The middle of Arsenal is tight, and there is space on either side of their six. Newcastle can force players to run backward and steal territory if the first forward pass after regain goes past the full-back line instead of into feet.

Tottenham is waiting in the Cup. Here’s why that matters now.

In late October, playing Spurs at home will be a real test of the team’s depth and calmness. It makes every minute of the league from now until then an audition: who gets a part, who becomes a cup specialist, and who changes the manager’s mind. The tie is close enough on the calendar that it will already affect workloads.

Key details box

Newcastle 4–1 Bradford City in the Carabao Cup (R3). The holders move on. Goals were scored by Joelinton (2) and Will Osula (2).

Newcastle vs. Tottenham in the fourth round, which will be in late October.

The next league game is Newcastle vs. Arsenal at St. James’ Park on Sunday.

What changes from the Cup

Height of the press. Expect the press to be more picky than it was in the middle of the week. The first jump should come after back-passes or square balls to the right center-back, not the goalkeeper’s first touch. Discipline for full-backs. One joins, one locks the rest of the defense early to protect the channel—Arsenal punishes players who are too eager to overlap. Starts over. Keep quick throws and short frees going to keep Arsenal from getting into a rhythm. After each regain, let the crowd speed up the game.

Possible edges in the match

Early squeeze on the territory. A five- to ten-minute push to pin Arsenal deep can cause fouls and corners.

Rotations in the right half-space. To open the switch or cut-back lane, leave the pocket in front of Arsenal’s right-back and then come back to it.

Swinging the bench late. If the score stays the same after an hour, legs from the cup may be the tiebreaker, with newer runners against control subs.

Prediction and stakes

This week is more than just a weird scheduling event; it’s a test of coherence. The win in the cup gave them confidence and rhythm, and the draw gave them a big night later in the fall. Newcastle can win a close home game if they play with the same clarity and composure they showed in the midweek game. They need to be sharp on restarts, selective in the press, and ruthless on the first big chance. Edge Newcastle by one goal in a game that was mostly about set pieces and one big change. Minute-70 substitutions will probably decide whether that edge stays.