Sports News
Arsenal player ratings vs Newcastle: That’s why Gunners need Alexander Isak! Striker terrorises Gabriel & William Saliba as David Raya clanger ensures Mikel Arteta’s men crash out of Carabao Cup
Peter McVitie 05 Feb 2025 22:57+01:00
Arsenal were their own worst enemies as Newcastle booked a place in the Carabao Cup final with a 2-0 win over Mikel Arteta’s men in the second leg of their semi-final tie. Already two goals down from the first leg, the Gunners had a mountain to climb heading into the clash, but they simply collapsed at St. James’ Park and went crashing out with a 4-0 aggregate defeat.
With Magpies striker Alexander Isak tearing up their defence at one end, the north London side were totally inept up front as Kai Havertz’s anonymous display showed exactly why Arteta is in dire need of a top-quality striker in his ranks.
After seeing an early Isak goal disallowed to quell a blistering start from Newcastle, Arsenal had a huge chance to go ahead when Martin Odegaard ended up in a great position but but his lashed effort hit the post.
Goalkeeper & Defence
David Raya (3/10):
Another silly, crucial mistake as his pass put Rice under pressure and gave away the second goal.
Jurrien Timber (6/10):
Saw a lot of the ball and more reliable than his fellow defenders.
William Saliba (4/10):
Lost the battle for the initial ball and then was left in Isak’s wake before the first goal and then gave a great opportunity to Gordon in the second half.
Gabriel (5/10):
Reacted too slowly to the rebound, allowing Murphy to score and looked vulnerable throughout.
Myles Lewis-Skelly (6/10):
Dug in with some tackles and tried to offer support when Arsenal went forward.
Midfield
Martin Odegaard (4/10):
Had a huge chance just before the goal and had a frustrating game overall. Went off at the hour mark.
Thomas Partey (6/10):
Made some good passes but didn’t offer enough protection.
Declan Rice (5/10):
Tried to get something going on the ball and applied some pressure but couldn’t deal with Raya’s woeful pass, leading to the second goal.
Attack
Gabriel Martinelli (5/10):
Couldn’t connect with team-mates and struggled to make anything work before going off after 37 minutes with an injury.
Kai Havertz (4/10):
Couldn’t register a single shot and kept on giving the ball away. Another bad day at the office.
Leandro Trossard (4/10):
Quiet in the first half beyond some questionable decisions and had no real impact. Went off after 60 minutes.
Subs & Manager
Ethan Nwaneri (6/10):
Replaced Martinelli in the first half and was lively, but had a brutal time trying to get it beyond the defence.
Raheem Sterling (6/10):
The tie was over by the time he came on and he could do nothing to lift them.
Mikel Merino (6/10):
Played 30 minutes and tried to get forward in support but nothing worked out.
Riccardo Calafiori (N/A):
On after 77 minutes and couldn’t add much.
Jorginho (N/A):
Didn’t have much time to impact the game.
Mikel Arteta (4/10):
