TF Match Report - Newcastle Utd 2-0 Arsenal, League Cup Semi-Final (4-0 Agg.)
What were we worried about? Book your leave, book your hotel, book your train. And don't forget to tell ya Mam! Stephen Ord has your report.
Lights, saxophones, flags and … Wembley! It is very unusual to be this nervous when you are two up effectively at half time, but that is what I was and it felt what was needed was a good old fashioned roar. The club was ready, the fans were ready, would the players be?
As it turned out the only thing that wasn’t ready, were Arsenal. It must be something to do with the colour, or the way it spins out of play when you overhit a corner, but if, when the draw was made, you had told me that over one hundred and eighty minutes Martin Dubravka would have so little to do, I wouldn’t have believed you.
Eddie Howe got the game plan spot on. I am a regular critic of some of his decisions, but playing all three central defenders and allowing one to press the opposition goal kicks was a master stroke.
The plan worked like a treat for the second goal, Schär appearing behind Rice, ball to Gordon, back of the net. Cue scarves being waved above heads, lots of people telling their mother not to leave their evening meal out.
The night was sparked by Timber falling – literally, then Isak appearing like a lumberjack to fell any hopes of an Arsenal come back. After four minutes the ball was in their net; it took two minutes at least to rule it out.
William Saliba and Gabriel will be seeing the haunting shape of the fantastic Swede in their nightmares for the next few weeks.
Gordon was rampant with the ball at his feet, he sometimes made the wrong choice or no choice at all, but the way he slipped by red clad defenders was a joy to behold.
Thomas Partey spent most of the night wanting the ground to swallow him up, but Bruno and Tonali were everywhere and consistently made interventions at just the right moment.
The goal when it arrived was a great shot from Isak, hitting the left post. Came back to Lionel Murphy (future Ballon d’Or winner), who hit the right post and it went in. Pandemonium, pressure off.
This club can give you massive highs and massive lows, but the spine tingling joy of the Isak chance ruled out, was quickly replaced by this one. It meant loads to Murphy, it meant loads to us, we were ahead when everyone knew the first goal would be crucial.
Gabriel Martinelli, he of the we could easily score three, four or five there, disappeared on the half hour allegedly with an injury. We can save that for another day. Lewis Hall simply went from marking one player out of the game, to making another case for being the best left-sided defender in the country.
Possession was retained much better than previously and when the opposition moved the ball from side to side, Kai Havertz was their only option and he wasn’t a very good one. We were in their heads, we had their number. It must be the ball.
There were opportunities at the start of the second half for us to get distracted and sit in. Not so. Gordon probably should have scored with a chance that fell to him, he nicked ahead, was in on goal, Raya was back pedalling, but it fell agonisingly wide of the Gallowgate net.
Three minutes later, redemption. He had the time to pick his spot and he did.
At that point the game was done, forty minutes could have seen Arsenal score four, but they weren’t going to and despite songs of ‘He’s won more than you’, the rest of the game was largely spent revelling in the fact that it is Wembley again.
Does this still throw up some serious questions to answer? Absolutely.
The fact that the players (and supporters) could raise themselves for this game and yet look unable to for Fulham is going to have a longer term impact on our Premier League position.
For those who value Champions League, revenues, and PSR progress that will be an ongoing worry.
However, for the vast majority of the forty-six thousand fans in attendance of a black and white persuasion that did not, and does not, matter. It has been almost seventy years since a black and white captain lifted a domestic trophy.
There is a score to be settled with Wembley; it may not be this year, but the chance to do it comes around again and thousands will head south. The game between Spurs and Liverpool is now of great importance.
We go to Birmingham in the full belief that this side that can put in outstanding performances such as last night. They should make that their new bar, this is the level we can go to. Forest in a few weeks time should feel this performance.
Someone once said to me it was only a game, why do I get so excited like a little boy about these events.
This night. This is why.
Newcastle United have done it again … now to call me mam.
Stephen Ord @smord84
Magnificent
Good report but on a night as memorable as this, we can’t let this match report pass without mentioning three other players who surely had their best ever games in a black and white shirt.
If you cut Big Dan Burn in half he’d be black and white in the middle. Heart as big as lion even though his legs are sometimes as fast as a rhino, but what a game this guy had. Obviously thought the “Get Into Them” flag was a personal instruction, so tore into anything wearing red like a bull, but still managed to win everything in the air, while staying calm and distributing brilliantly.
Dovetailing perfectly with him was big Sven Botman who was nothing short of superb. After long months of injury and a tentative re-introduction to the team, Sven answered the call to go back into the colosseum with his fellow Gladiators at a time of need. His timing was uncanny, his ability to read the game, sense danger and make crucial interventions was simply beautiful to watch.
Let’s be honest, when we all saw a back 5 with 3 centre halves, we all thought the bus was being parked but what we got wasn’t Burn and Botman - this was Chiellini and Bonucci; this was Spartacus and Crixus.
And to their right stood Maximus Trippier. Not the tallest man in the arena but what a giant of leadership. Barking out orders, rallying the troops, putting Trossard to the sword while gallivanting up and down the wing like a whippet. I swear I heard him shouting “Single Column! SIngle Column” in true Gladiator style over and over again. Maximus said he would win the crowd. He said he would give them something they’ve never seen before.
What he gave was not only brave, it was the greatest display of leadership we’ve seen at SJP for a generation.