Newcastle's Magpies soar to Wembley with dominant Arsenal display

Eddie Howe hailed his side's "outstanding performance" as they outclassed the Gunners over both legs.

A 2-0 win at the Emirates had already given Newcastle a strong advantage, and they wasted little time asserting themselves at St James' Park.

Alexander Isak thought he had given the hosts an early lead, only for VAR to rule him offside. Arsenal almost struck back through Martin Odegaard, who clipped the post with a spinning effort, but Newcastle seized control soon after.

Isak played a clever one-two with Anthony Gordon before striking the post, and Jacob Murphy reacted quickest to slot home the rebound past David Raya.

With Arsenal now facing an uphill battle, Leandro Trossard saw a close-range effort denied by Martin Dubravka, leaving the Gunners with 45 minutes to rescue their semi-final hopes.

Any chance of an Arsenal revival was quickly extinguished early in the second half. A misplaced pass from Raya was intercepted by Fabian Schar, allowing Gordon to capitalise and fire Newcastle into a commanding position.

From there, the Magpies managed the game superbly, keeping Mikel Arteta's side at bay to cruise into the final.

Speaking after the match, Howe praised his squad's tactical discipline and resilience. "It was a great night for us. We knew the importance of being aggressive, and today everything clicked. The players executed the plan perfectly," he said.

"We worked on the game plan from Monday, and I have to give credit to the squad for their intensity and focus."

The Newcastle boss also highlighted the defensive work of Schar, who was tasked with tracking Declan Rice across the pitch. "Fabian covered big distances, whether Rice moved centrally or wide. It was a crucial part of our plan, and he did an excellent job."

Arsenal's first defeat in nine away matches ended their hopes of a first EFL Cup final since 2018.

Odegaard admitted that Newcastle deserved their place at Wembley. "It's a tough one to take. We wanted to reach the final, but over both legs, we didn't do enough," he said. "We have to learn from this and move forward."

Newcastle now await the outcome of the other semi-final between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur, with Spurs holding a 1-0 advantage from the first leg.

The Magpies will be aiming to lift the League Cup for the first time in their history when they return to Wembley, having last won a major domestic honour in 1955.