Newcastle United Predicted Lineup vs Arsenal

Newcastle United have the chance of reaching the Carabao Cup final when they travel to the Emirates for the semi-final first leg against Arsenal. On the back of successive away wins against Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, the Geordies go into this one in top form. The potential for success at Newcastle United this season is mouth-watering, with a possible Carabao Cup final in March and very much in the hunt for a top-four finish.

Carabao Cup Semi-Final First Leg: Newcastle United Predicted Lineup vs Arsenal

How Newcastle United Have Lined Up Recently

In a two-legged cup semi-final, the onus is always on the home side to establish some kind of lead for the second leg. With that in mind, Newcastle don’t need to be as adventurous against Arsenal as they have been in recent weeks, scoring freely against Leicester, Ipswich and Aston Villa, as well as tremendous victories away from home to Manchester United and Spurs within the space of six days.

The good news is that Sven Botman returned from his anterior cruciate ligament injury at the weekend to star against Spurs in his first game of the season. Nine months out of the game when you’ve just made a £40million move from Lille is tough to take but manager Eddie Howe has been impressed with his determination and professional attitude to get back to full fitness as quickly as possible. Alongside Dan Burn, Botman can offer a tough partnership for even the best strikers to get the better of.

It’s in midfield where Newcastle have really excelled in recent weeks. The trio of Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton have been exceptional and in Tonali, Eddie Howe has had to be patient to see the best of him. After signing a five-year deal eighteen months ago for a fee reported to be close to £70million, the Italian was banned for ten months for allegedly breaching Italian betting regulations.

Sitting deep in the middle as part of a three-man midfield, Tonali is improving with every passing week. His influence is one of the reasons striker Alexander Isak is in the form of his life. The Swede has now scored in seven successive Premier League games and will be aware of the constant speculation surrounding him moving to Arsenal in the summer.

Newcastle United’s Recent Form and Tactics

It’s now six wins in a row for Eddie Howe’s men where they have scored eighteen goals in that time and conceded only one. No wonder it gives them the belief that they can reach the final again, just as they did two years ago when they lost out to Manchester United. Eddie Howe is driven by the prospect of winning a trophy for their excitable fan base. Expect Jacob Murphy and Anthony Gordon to be more cautious in their approach and will look to help their full-backs, Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall.

Newcastle United Injuries to Consider

Returning centre-back Sven Botman went off with some cramp in the weekend victory over Spurs but had already played the ninety minutes. Eddie Howe was full of admiration for the dedication Botman had shown during his recovery from injury and will be delighted he’s available for selection. Anthony Gordon sustained a cut to his nose in the same game, but he too should be fit for this vital clash.

Given that Newcastle entertain League Two side Bromley in the FA Cup at St James Park this weekend, that will be the time Howe will make numerous changes to rest his key players for the demanding schedule coming up.