Isak and Gordon pounce to put Newcastle firmly in driving seat

The irony will surely not be lost on Mikel Arteta. On a night when his side were hoping to put one foot in the Carabao Cup final, it was Alexander Isak - a striker that the Arsenal manager has long coveted - who did the damage as Newcastle secured a famous victory.

- Ed Aarons

It was no less than Eddie Howe's side deserved as they bid to reach the final once again after the heartache of losing to Manchester United at Wembley in 2023. Goals either side of half-time from Isak - his 10th in his last seven appearances - and Anthony Gordon ensured they will go into next month's second leg at St James' Park with a healthy advantage.

While Arsenal had their chances, there was no need for the referee John Brooks to explain any VAR decisions to the crowd in an initiative being trialled in the semi-finals as the hosts struggled to respond after falling behind. Their hopes of winning a second major trophy since he took charge now look distant but Newcastle's supporters can almost start to plan another trip to London in March.

A reflection of how much this competition has moved up the priority lists of both clubs could be seen in the strength of both starting XIs. Arsenal's situation was dictated by the lack of options in attack after the muscle injury sustained by the teenager Ethan Nwaneri against Brighton saw him join Bukayo Saka on the sidelines. There was better news for Arteta that Kai Havertz had recovered sufficiently to return in place of Gabriel Jesus up front, with recalls for the captain Martin Ødegaard, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Gabriel Martinelli, who remained on the left flank as Leandro Trossard took up Saka's usual role on the right.