Newcastle United have yet to win a trophy under their new ownership, the Saudi Arabian consortium that took over the club in 2021. This group has big and I mean BIG money behind them. However, thus far they have not been able to “pull a Roman Abramovich,” and by that we mean essentially buy titles, like the Russian oligarch did at Chelsea. Or like the Abu Dhabi led consortium does at Manchester City.
It’s just not that easy, and it doesn’t happen overnight. You can’t just throw money at the team’s issues and expect immediate results.
Arsenal FC at Newcastle United FYIs
Competition: EFL Cup Semifinal, Leg 2/2, Newcastle leads 2-0 on aggregate
Kick: Wed. Feb. 5, 8pm, St. James Park, Newcastle, 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)
However, you got to like Newcastle’s chances in the EFL Cup, especially so if Tottenham can somehow someway, someway finish the job on the other side of the bracket. Newcastle has a 2-0 lead on Arsenal on aggregate, and now they have the home ground advantage as well, to close out the tie.
And obviously, they would rather get Tottenham, instead of Liverpool, in the final, should they finish off Arsenal here. Newcastle has never won this competition. And they haven’t won a cup of any kind since the Inter Cities Fair Cup in 1968-69. The Magpies most recent title of any kind came in the second tier, as they won the Championship in 2016-17.
So, simply put, it’s time! That said, we still expect to see some squad rotation in midweek. Just a little bit in order to keep legs fresh.
Newcastle United Starting XI Prediction vs Arsenal
Nick Pope; Tino Livramento, Fabian Schar, Lloyd Kelly, Kieran Trippier; Lewis Miley, Sandro Tonali, Joe Willock; Jacob Murphy, Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon
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.