What Mikel Arteta received flawed as Arsenal embarrassed at house in opposition to Newcastle

On Jan 7, 2025

Arsenal’s season looks to be on the brink after the Gunners shipped two goals to Newcastle at home in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final clash

21:54, 07 Jan 2025Updated 21:54, 07 Jan 2025

Mikel Arteta’s side slumped to a 2-0 defeat(Image: Getty Images)

Arsenal’s season is on the brink.

It’s only early January and yet the Gunners are flagging in the Premier League title race and they now face a mountain in the Carabao Cup. It had been a bright start for Mikel Arteta’s side, but after Alexander Isak powered home it was one-way traffic.

Anthony Gordon grabbed the second and the Gunners are now 90 minutes away from elimination. And Daily Star Sport has a look at what Arteta got wrong on a freezing evening in north London…

Failing to control Alexander Isak

Alexander Isak of Newcastle United celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Carabao Cup Semi Final First Leg match between Arsenal and Newcastle United at Emirates Stadium on January 07, 2025 in London, England.

Alexander Isak was the man of the match on Tuesday evening(Image: Getty Images)

This one does feel a bit harsh, there’s not a defender on the planet who can handle Alexander Isak at the moment.

The big Swede was up to his old tricks again at the Emirates Stadium as he fired the Magpies into the lead midway through the first half. William Saliba and Gabriel have been two of the Premier League’s best centre-back’s in recent seasons, but even they couldn’t stop Isak from powering home.

If you can’t beat ’em join ’em, and that could be true for Arteta with reports suggesting he’s lining up a move for Isak.

Dominating the midfield in the early stages

Lewis Hall of Newcastle United under pressure from Leandro Trossard of Arsenal during the Carabao Cup Semi Final First Leg match between Arsenal and Newcastle United at Emirates Stadium on January 7, 2025 in London, England.

Arsenal had made a bright start to the game(Image: Getty Images)

Up until the moment Alexander Isak smashed the ball past a stranded David Raya, the Gunners had done everything right.

Declan Rice, Thomas Partey and Martin Odegaard is the strongest midfield that Arteta can muster – and they showed exactly why in one golden moment in the first-half that resulted in Gabriel Martinelli bearing down on goal.

Some lovely one-touch football, a la Arsene Wenger, saw Martinelli released one-on-one – and he was only denied handing the Gunners the opening goal by the woodwork.

Slow start to the second half

Joelinton of Newcastle United is challenged by Thomas Partey of Arsenal during the Carabao Cup Semi Final First Leg match between Arsenal and Newcastle United at Emirates Stadium on January 07, 2025 in London, England.

All Arsenal’s hard work was undone with a slow start to the second half(Image: Getty Images)

Arsenal really needed the second goal of the game. When the Gunners came out for the second half they were one goal down on home turf – letting Newcastle score the next goal would leave Arteta’s side with a mountain to climb.

And that’s exactly what happened.

Isak, again, was quickest to the ball and his snapshot was pushed into the direction of Anthony Gordon who turned home. Adding insult to injury, Gordon then posed in the corner as Thierry Henry had once done when the Gunners called Highbury home.

Waiting too long to make changes

Arsenal's Norwegian midfielder #08 Martin Odegaard (L) vies with Newcastle United's Brazilian midfielder #07 Joelinton during the English League Cup semi-final first leg football match between Arsenal and Newcastle United at the Emirates Stadium, in London on January 7, 2025.

Mikel Arteta waited too long to make any changes(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Article continues below

The bottom line is changes had to have been made at half-time.

The game was slipping away from Arsenal – and Arteta didn’t look to his bench. The game needed something new, after a bright start the Gunners had watched the game slip towards Newcastle and that only continued after the second goal.

“Arteta is lost tactically right now. Nothing to offer. Scared to change the shape of his struggling team. Awful,” one fan fumed. While a second said: “Yeah tonight was my last straw. I’ve backed it for ages, but until Arteta makes some changes, serious changes I can’t watch this anymore.