Arsenal FC have to feel pretty disappointed about their result at Falmer Stadium yesterday. They lacked the killer instinct to finish the game off and hence dropped two points that they easily should, or at least could, have had in their quest to catch Liverpool in the league title race. Now the attention shifts to the League Cup and a visit from a surging Newcastle United side.
The Geordies will enter this match having lost suffered defeat exactly one month ago (2-4 to Brentford).
Arsenal vs Newcastle United FYIs
Competition: EFL Cup Semifinal, Leg 1/2
Kick: Tue. Jan. 7, 8pm, Emirates Stadium, London, UK
Team News: Arsenal Newcastle United
Starting XI Predictions: Arsenal Newcastle United
How They Got Here:
Arsenal- Quarterfinals: Crystal Palace 3-2, Round of 16: Preston 3-0, Third Round: Bolton 5-1
Newcastle United- Quarterfinals: Brentford 3-1, Round of 16: Chelsea 32-0, Third Round: AFC Wimbledon 1-0 Second Round: Nottm Forest 1-1 (4-3 penalties)
And in those six matches, across this competition and league play, Newcastle emerged victorious. Indeed they are unblemished on that run. So Gunners boss Mikel Arteta will need his strongest side possible here in order to get a good advantage in the first leg of this round.
Arsenal FC Starting XI Prediction vs Newcastle United (EFL Cup Semifinals)
David Raya; Thomas Partey, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Riccardo Calafiori; Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice, Jorginho; Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus, Leandro Trossard
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.