Newcastle United secured a crucial 2-0 victory over Arsenal in the first leg of the English League Cup semifinal at Emirates Stadium last night. Goals from Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon, both in exceptional form, propelled Newcastle to the win, leaving Arsenal with a mountain to climb in the return leg.
Despite dominating possession and creating 23 scoring opportunities, Arsenal failed to convert any into goals. Only three shots were on target, with Gabriel Martinelli hitting the post and Kai Havertz squandering a straightforward header.
After the match, Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta attributed the lack of goals not to his players’ inefficiency but to the match ball. “Many of our shots went over the bar. It’s hard to play with this ball; it floats a bit too much in the air,” Arteta explained.
Unlike the Nike ball used in the Premier League, League Cup matches use a Puma ball. Interestingly, Arsenal had scored 11 goals in their previous three League Cup fixtures with the same ball. However, Arteta emphasized its challenges, saying, “It’s different, and there’s an adjustment required.”
Arsenal will now need to overturn the deficit in the second leg to keep their League Cup hopes alive.
