Mikel Arteta’s complaints over the Carabao Cup ball came back to haunt him as he watched his Arsenal side crash out of the semi-finals after a humbling 4-0 aggregate defeat by Newcastle United.
Goals from Newcastle pair Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon either side of half-time booked Eddie Howe’s side a place at Wembley for the second Carabao Cup final in three seasons, having matched the scoreline from their trip to London four weeks ago.
For Arteta, the defeat dealt a substantial blow to any hopes of silverware this season, having crashed out of the FA Cup last month against Manchester United and needing to overturn a six-point deficit to league-leaders Liverpool – who have a game in hand.
With pressure ramping up on the Spaniard, Newcastle fans revelled in mocking his past complaints after the first-leg defeat, where Arsenal’s inability to hit the target was partially put down to the difference between the ball used in the Carabao Cup and the more familiar Premier League version.
After Gordon’s goal cemented the victory with his effort to put Newcastle 2-0 up on the night, and 4-0 on aggregate, chants of “It must be the ball, it must be the ball, Mikel Arteta, it must be the ball” rang out around St James’ Park.
Home fans also targeted Arteta with taunts of “He’s going to cry in a minute” as a party atmosphere overtook the stadium, fuelled by dreams that the club’s 70-year wait for a domestic cup trophy could finally come to an end.
Newcastle will face either Liverpool or Tottenham Hotspur, who hold a slender 1-0 advantage ahead of their trip to Anfield on Thursday, knowing that they are one victory away from a first domestic trophy since winning the 1955 FA Cup and overall since the 1969 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.
More to follow…
