Mikel Arteta has urged Arsenal to “go full gas” against Newcastle United on Wednesday as they look to overturn a two-goal deficit and secure their first Carabao Cup final appearance since 2018.
The Gunners face an uphill battle after a disappointing first leg at the Emirates, where their wastefulness in front of goal was ruthlessly punished by the Magpies.
However, with four consecutive wins under their belt, including Sunday’s 5-1 thrashing of Manchester City, confidence is high that Arsenal can pull off a comeback before a 10-day break in the calendar.
Facing the media on Tuesday, Arteta said he didn’t need to motivate his players for the challenge ahead.
“The next stop is a final in Wembley so we know how big that is and you can feel it, you can feel it straight away,” he said.
“The boost that the game gave us winning against City, the manner that we did it and the fact that it is a game that is the closest competition we are to a final, we’re going to give it a real go.”
He added: “Probably when you compare the emotional state of the team straight after the defeat and the manner that it happened and how we are today, it’s very different because we come from very strong performances, some great wins and especially the last one at home against Man City.
“So it’s momentum and after that game as well we have a break so it’s a moment to go full gas, ready to go for it and try to approach it in the way that we believe is the best way to win that final.”
Given the Geordies came out on top in November’s league encounter at St James’ Park – a 1-0 win sealed early by Isak’s header – Arteta is under no illusions about the difficulty of their opponent.
“They [Newcastle] are a very difficult team to play against and there have been different games. We beat them at home last year in a good way.
“Obviously this season has been different with two very different games as well, I think. It’s another opportunity ahead of us, a big one that can take us to Wembley so we are really looking forward to it.
He also made clear that despite the magnitude of the match, “nerves” are not something he’s going to be contending with.
“I don’t know if that’s the word, excited for sure, you know, willing, hungry and enthusiastic because we are very close to play a final and hopefully we can achieve it tomorrow.”
Win or lose, Arteta confirmed reports that Arsenal will head to Dubai on Thursday morning for a warm-weather training camp. Last January, a visit to the Emirate proved to a turning point in the season, sparking an impressive run of form that nearly ended with a league title.
It sounds as though the formula for the trip will be relatively similar, although the same results aren’t guaranteed.
“There’s a lot of things that will be very similar, location, where we are staying, where we trained, but then obviously we have to modify it,” said Arteta.
“We’re going to be in a different moment of the season, different numbers, probably the team needs other stimulus, other things, so we are preparing a few things, hopefully it will work like it has worked in the last few times.”
Another five goals would put the mediocre Newcastle to bed and shut the noise down.
First goal wins it me thinks.
Agreed
They’ll sit deep. We have to score early, with a set piece most likely. They can’t play 75 minutes at 2-1. We’ll have to ride our luck a bit defensively to get a second goal. Once it’s 2-2, both sides will play for pens. Not a crazy scenario.
If we get to 2-2 they will on the ropes and the anxiety in the stadium will be palpable. At they stage we go for the throat not penalties
I would love to palpate their anxiety!
They’ll be playing on the break and for the Gordon diving penalty backed up by the shirtless orcs screaming for it.
Genuinely wondering if this is the most important game of our season?
If we smash them, thus qualify for the Wembley final before a 10 days break in Dubai I am going to start dreaming about a treble
No handbrakes!
Nothing to lose approach.
With that, we can win the game