Newcastle United cruised into the EFL Cup final with a dominant 4-0 aggregate victory over Arsenal, sealing their place at Wembley after a 2-0 second-leg win at St. James’ Park.
With a comfortable 2-0 lead from the first leg, goals from Jacob Murphy and Anthony Gordon ensured Eddie Howe’s side will compete for silverware against either Liverpool or Tottenham in next month’s final.
📝 Match Recap
🔹 Early Drama & Disallowed Goal
The home crowd thought Alexander Isak had given Newcastle the perfect start inside four minutes when he fired a powerful strike into the top corner. However, the goal was ruled out for offside after a tight VAR review.
🔹 Murphy Opens the Scoring
Arsenal responded well, and Martin Odegaard had a golden opportunity to level the tie but sliced his shot wide. The Gunners were immediately punished when Isak hit the crossbar, only for Murphy to calmly slot home the rebound and give Newcastle the lead.
🔹 Gordon Capitalizes on Arsenal’s Mistake
The visitors struggled to create chances, and Newcastle took advantage of their defensive errors. William Saliba was dispossessed by Gordon, who attempted an audacious long-range shot with David Raya stranded but narrowly missed the target.
However, moments later, Declan Rice was caught in possession, and Fabian Schar’s high press set up Gordon, who coolly finished into the bottom left corner, sealing Newcastle’s place at Wembley.
Despite Arsenal’s late half-chances from Ethan Nwaneri and Rice, the game was beyond them, and Newcastle comfortably saw out the victory.
📊 Key Stats & Data Debrief
🔹 Newcastle’s Dominance in the EFL Cup
- Newcastle have now reached three EFL Cup finals, progressing from all their semi-final ties in the competition’s history.
- They have won all three of their home semi-final matches in the League Cup.
- The Magpies last made the EFL Cup final in 2022-23, where they lost to Manchester United. Their first-ever final appearance came back in 1976.
🔹 Gordon’s Golden Touch vs Arsenal
- Anthony Gordon has now scored three goals against Arsenal, his joint-most against any club (level with Manchester United).
- Newcastle have not lost an EFL Cup match in which they scored first since August 2017.
🔹 Arsenal’s Cup Woes Continue
- Despite their dominance in the first leg, Arsenal failed to break down Newcastle’s resilient defense.
- Coming off the back of their 5-1 thrashing of Manchester City, Mikel Arteta’s side lacked the cutting edge they displayed over the weekend.
🏆 What’s Next for Newcastle?
Newcastle now await their Wembley opponent, with Liverpool and Tottenham set to battle in the other semi-final.
Having lost to Manchester United in the 2023 final, Eddie Howe’s men will be desperate to go one step further and claim their first major domestic trophy since 1955.
With their defensive solidity and attacking efficiency, the Magpies will feel confident heading into the final, regardless of who they face.
🔥 Can Newcastle lift the EFL Cup this time? Let us know your thoughts! 👇
