Newcastle United lead 2-0 at the halfway point of their EFL Cup semi-final against Arsenal.
Newcastle United vs Arsenal best bets
- Arsenal to win – 23/20 with Copybet
- Arsenal to score first – 4/5 with Paddy Power
- Ethan Nwaneri to score any time – 4/1 with Tote
Newcastle United vs Arsenal odds
Find the latest match odds for Newcastle United vs Arsenal. All odds are provided by our best football betting sites. Odds are subject to change.
Newcastle United vs Arsenal predictions
How Arsenal needed that.
Sunday’s 5-1 victory over Manchester City was a statement of intent from Mikel Arteta’s men, not just in this season’s Premier League title race but more broadly too.
Arsenal lost 12 out of 12 top-flight meetings with City, the dominant team of this era, between November 2017 and April 2023.
That dismal run came to an end last term, as Arsenal ran out 1-0 winners at the Emirates Stadium. But that was a slender triumph. Sunday’s success was anything but.
Granted, City are not as strong as they once were. But Arteta and his players will draw confidence from the way they dismantled the reigning champions in the second half.
For all that Arsenal were hugely impressive at the weekend, they could be nine points behind league leaders Liverpool when they next take to the field.
The gap between the pair stands at six points at the time of writing, but Arne Slot’s men will play their game in hand against Everton on February 12.
Both teams are involved in EFL Cup action this midweek. Liverpool are looking to overturn a 1-0 deficit against Tottenham Hotspur, while Arsenal are two goals down to Newcastle United at half-time of their semi-final.
Arteta’s side have a mountain to climb. They do not have a great recent record at St James’ Park, having lost three of their last four visits without scoring.
But the pressure is now on Newcastle after their victory at the Emirates last month. Without a trophy since 1955, it is an understatement to say their fans are desperate for a piece of silverware. Arsenal will hope to use that to their advantage on Wednesday.
Still, it is clear that the Magpies are now strong favourites to advance to what would be a second EFL Cup final in three years.
They have lost back-to-back home games in the league, going down 4-1 to Bournemouth and 2-1 to Fulham. But a narrow defeat by Arsenal this week would still send Eddie Howe’s charges through.
“We have to be disappointed as it’s another result that we wanted, but that’s the reality,” Arteta said after the first leg. “I have full belief. I have seen my team playing against them – I believe we can do it.”
Newcastle United vs Arsenal betting tips
Can Arsenal overturn a two-goal deficit from the first leg of this EFL Cup semi-final?
Arsenal to win
Arsenal could count themselves a little unfortunate to lose 2-0 to Newcastle in the first instalment of this tie.
They outshot their opponents 23-7 and racked up 3.22 expected goals to Newcastle’s 1.22. But whereas the Magpies were clinical, Arsenal were very much not.
However, Newcastle have gone slightly off the boil over the last couple of weeks, while Arsenal will feel like they have nothing to lose.
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Newcastle may be in two minds on Wednesday. Do they go all-out for victory on the night, or do they aim to protect their aggregate advantage?
Arsenal’s task is more straightforward. That, together with the quality they showed against Manchester City, is reason enough to back the visitors to win in 90 minutes.
Back Arsenal to win at 23/20 with Copybet
Arsenal to score first
When Arsenal needed to beat Liverpool by two clear goals in that iconic First Division title decider in 1989, George Graham encouraged his team to get to half-time with the score 0-0.
A defence-minded manager, Graham felt Arsenal’s best chance of getting the result they needed was to keep things tight at the back.
Arteta, a more proactive coach, will see things differently. An early goal for Arsenal could make the St James’ Park crowd nervous. That in turn would help the Gunners.
As mentioned above, Newcastle are in danger of being caught in two minds. That too should help Arsenal land the first blow.
Choose Arsenal to score first at 4/5 with Paddy Power
Ethan Nwaneri to score any time
Ethan Nwaneri added the cherry to the icing on top of the Arsenal cake on Sunday, coming off the bench to score his team’s fifth goal of the afternoon.
Fully fit again after a recent injury, Nwanri could go back into the starting XI at St James’ Park.
That is not a guarantee, so backing him to find the net represents a slight risk. Arteta could opt for the relative experience of Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard out wide.
But Nwaneri is a better fit out on the right flank than Martinelli, who does his best work from the left.
The 17-year-old is a precocious talent and Newcastle will need to keep a close eye on him here.
Tip Ethan Nwaneri to score any time at 4/1 with Tote
How to watch Newcastle United vs Arsenal
- Location: St James’ Park, Newcastle, England.
- Date and time: Wednesday 5th February, 8pm.
- How to watch: Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football.
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About the author
Greg Lea
Greg Lea is a freelance football writer from London. He predominantly covers the Premier League and has had work published by the Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN and others.
Follow Greg on X: @GregLeaFootball
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