Arsenal 0–2 Newcastle United: Isak and Gordon seal vital semi-final first leg victory for Magpies 

Goals from Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon put Newcastle in the driving seat for the second leg vs Arsenal at St James's Park next month 

Alexander Isak put on a superb performance to ensure Newcastle United took a firm two goal lead back to St James’ Park for the second leg of this League Cup semi-final.

On a bitterly cold January evening in north London, with temperatures more akin to the north-east, the outstanding Isak put Eddie Howe’s side ahead with a clinically taken goal.

Not satisfied with his first half strike, the £100m-rated striker’s powerful low drive across David Raya saw the Arsenal keeper palm the ball into the path of the quick-reacting Anthony Gordon, who made it 2-0 after only 51 minutes.

Prolific Isak scored for the eighth match in succession as the Magpies dangerman made it 10 goals in the last nine matches in all competitions for Howe’s Newcastle side, whose jubilant fans were already signing about Wembley in the first half, as they aim to end 70 years of hurt without a domestic trophy. 

The opener was the coveted 25-year-old striker’s 50th goal for the black and whites. Indeed, since the former Real Sociedad’s debut for Newcastle in August 2022, only Mo Salah and Erling Halaand have scored more.

Speaking after the match, Howe praised Isak saying: “He was electric and I thought he played really well. He scored and his general game was in a really good place.”

In opting to name a strong team with a place at the national stadium waiting for the victors of this eagerly-anticipated two-legged semi-final, Mikel Arteta returned Kai Havertz to the starting XI, after the striker was hit by the bug that swept through the side at the start of the new year, which caused the striker to miss the first two games of 2025.

Leandro Trossard took Ethan Nwaneri’s position after the precocious 17-year-old picked up a muscular injury during the frustrating 1-1 draw at Brighton last time out. While Jurrien Timber was reinstated at right-back, with Thomas Partey reverting to his usual position in midfielder, following the Dutch defender serving a suspension on the south coast after picking up five cautions this term.

Howe’s resolute Newcastle saw Joelinton relentlessly track Gunners captain Martin Odegaard, while Gabi Martinelli was engaged in an absorbing duel with the Magpies’ fit-again Sven Botman.

On 12 minutes Timber headed Declan Rice’s corner over the bar when well-placed, prior to Anthony Gordon’s attempt being blocked 120 seconds later, with Sandro Tonali’s follow-up flying over the bar.

As both sides fought for supremacy in the opening stages of a keenly contested clash Gabriel drilled a low effort past Martin Dubravka’s far post.

As Arsenal started to dominate it was Martinelli who nearly opened the scoring. The 23-year-old Brazil attacker’s rasping effort, following an exquisite touch to drive the ball into the box past a despairing Botman, struck Dubravka’s near post, with the 35-year-old veteran keeper beaten.

However, Howe’s side refused to be browbeaten under such pressure. And when keeper Dubravka played a long ball into the Gunners box, the ball fell to the predatory Isak, via Jacob Murphy, in front of David Raya – which saw the deadly Swedish striker made no mistake in slotting past Raya for his 15th goal of what could be a momentous season for the Magpies, to put Newcastle 1-0 ahead eight minutes before the interval.

With the joyous 6,000 travelling fans already singing of Wembley, worse was to follow for Arsenal, when Gordon reacted faster than Timber to squeeze the ball home from close range on 51 minutes, to double their lead. Newcastle’s second goal coming after Raya could only palm Isak’s low shot across goal, and into the path of Gordon.

Havertz’s attempt moments later was a microcosm of the Gunners evening, when the striker mistimed his header, with the ball coming off his neck and shoulder and narrowly wide, with the goal gaping.

William Saliba then headed over shortly afterwards, prior to Martinelli volleying wide, after Howe showed his inherent caution by substituting the outstanding Isak and opting for five at the back – three of them left-footed centre-backs - as Arsenal ran out of attacking ideas, amid Newcastle fans singing jubilantly of Wembley.

Bizarrely, Arteta criticised the ball afterwards, saying: "We kicked a lot of balls over the bar, and it's tricky that these balls fly a lot so there's details that we can do better." 

Of course, there is still the semi-final second leg to come next month, with the proviso that anything can happen in football.

However, Howe and his side will have every right to feel they are halfway to Wembley on this showing on a bitterly disappointing evening for the Gunners. Whichever ball they play with in the second leg.