Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the EFL Cup match.
Newcastle United claimed a 2:0 victory over Arsenal at the Emirates in the first leg of this semi-final, thanks to Alexander Isak’s brilliant form at the time. However, they are no longer looking as sharp, and Arsenal have a solid chance of overturning the deficit—though the two-goal margin makes things complicated.
Newcastle United
Beyond the finishing ability of Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon, Newcastle United also had some luck in the first leg. Before Isak opened the scoring, Gabriel Martinelli struck the post with a powerful effort. Later, at 2:0, Kai Havertz came within inches of pulling a goal back, his header skimming just past the post. Now, Isak’s goal-scoring form has dipped—his only goals in the last three matches were a brace against struggling Southampton (3:1). Without his goals, Newcastle have suffered back-to-back home defeats with defensive collapses—against Bournemouth (1:4) and Fulham (1:2).
Arsenal
Arsenal have been involved in high-scoring matches lately. Last Sunday, they stunned Manchester City—not just by winning, but by thrashing them (5:1). In the final two group-stage matches of the Champions League, they also hit multiple goals—beating Dinamo Zagreb (3:0) and Girona (2:1). In fact, five of their last six matches have seen over 2.5 goals.
Newcastle United vs Arsenal Prediction
A single goal will open up this match—especially if Arsenal score first. They need at least two goals to stay in the tie, which significantly increases the likelihood of an open, high-scoring encounter.
