Newcastle United are into the final of the Carabao Cup.
Eddie Howe’s side put Arsenal to the sword in each of the semi-final legs, winning 2-0 at the Emirates before repeating the trick on Tyneside.
It’s buried concerns that United’s imperious form had faded away following St. James’ Park losses against Bournemouth and Fulham in the Premier League, with a first-class display to match the result.
Arsenal were without Bukayo Saka but were buoyed after beating Manchester City 5-1 the weekend before, with exciting youngsters Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly both notching in that one.
But Newcastle turned form on its head when it mattered.
How Newcastle silenced Arsenal
With Alexander Isak, Jacob Murphy and Anthony Gordon wreaking havoc in the final third, Newcastle overwhelmed an Arsenal side that attempted to carry the spark from their recent victory into this semi-final showdown but failed miserably.
Not only did the hosts win 54% of the contested duels on the evening, as per Sofascore, but they also made just one error in the match compared to Arsenal’s four.
The disparity up front was personified, with it perfectly clear why Mikel Arteta so desperately wants Isak to front his ship over the coming years.
Arsenal’s youth contingent proved their worth, however. Nwaneri in particular remains one of the brightest young players in English football despite being kept quiet by Newcastle’s marshalled defence, but the hosts might actually have a bigger talent on their hands.
Minutes played
53′
Goals
0
Assists
0
Touches
41
Shots (on target)
1 (1)
Accurate passes
13/19 (68%)
Key passes
0
Crosses
0/9
Possession lost
22x
Dribbles completed
0/0
Total duels (won)
7 (2)
Lewis-Skelly is the talk of the town right now but Newcastle’s Lewis Hall, 21, will feel that he proved yet again that he is “the best left-back in the country,” as Toon correspondent Dominic Scurr put it after Howe’s first-leg victory in January.
Perhaps, though, Newcastle’s Lewis Miley is the best of them all. He was only introduced in the closing stages, but he’s got quite the future ahead of him.
Newcastle's answer to Nwaneri
Miley hasn’t featured all that much this season, stifled by a metatarsal fracture that left him sidelined until Howe granted him his first Premier League appearance of the campaign in December, during a 4-0 victory over Ipswich Town.
The eldest of three brothers within the United academy, Miley was described as a prospect with “unbelievable” potential by fellow Tyneside native Sean Longstaff.
Toon legend Alan Shearer has been coloured impressed by the rangy midfielder’s start to life, saying: “He just looks natural, he looks very comfortable. Other than looking at his baby looks, if you didn’t know who or what he was you would think he has been around for years, the way he was strutting around the pitch and closing down and the balance he had on the ball.”
One of the youngest goalscorers in Premier League history, Miley has proved himself to be a young player of confidence and ability, racking up 35 senior outings altogether, scoring twice and placing four assists.
Miley is a first-class talent, perhaps with a ceiling higher than the rest at St. James’ Park, maybe even capable of rivalling a player like Nwaneri, who is more of a forward but similarly revered by his team’s fanbase.
In the Premier League last year, while he was only 17, Miley ended up ranking among the top 15% of midfielders for assists per 90, as per FBref.
Moreover, he averaged 1.9 tackles and won 54% of his ground duels in the top flight last season, as per Sofascore, providing injury-hit Newcastle with a combative and youthful dimension.
He’s every bit as talented as Nwaneri and could rival the Arsenal prodigy for the reputation as England’s finest youngster as both continue to go from strength to strength over the coming years.
Howe may have unearthed his own Nobby Solano in Newcastle's "unsung hero"
Newcastle brushed Arsenal aside over two legs to advance to the final of the Carabao Cup.
ByAngus Sinclair Feb 6, 2025
