Newcastle United have secured a place in the League Cup final for the second consecutive season after defeating Arsenal 2-0 at St. James’ Park on Wednesday, sealing a 4-0 aggregate victory.

Goals from Jacob Murphy and Anthony Gordon ensured Eddie Howe’s men advanced, leaving Newcastle just one step away from ending their 56-year wait for a major trophy.

They will face either Liverpool or Tottenham at Wembley on March 16.

Dominant Newcastle Outclass Arsenal

Anthony Gordon and Bruno Guimaraes celebrate. (Photo by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)

From the outset, Newcastle played with intensity, feeding off the electric atmosphere at St. James’ Park.

Holding a 2-0 lead from the first leg, they defended resolutely while looking dangerous on the counterattack.

Alexander Isak was a constant menace to Arsenal’s backline, with William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães struggling to cope with his movement and technical ability.

The turning point came in the first half when Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard struck the post in a rare chance for the visitors.

Moments later, Isak broke free and hit the post with a left-footed effort, but Murphy reacted quickly to slot home the rebound, making it 1-0 on the night and 3-0 on aggregate.

Arsenal’s problems worsened when an error in playing out from the back saw goalkeeper David Raya under-hit a pass to Declan Rice.

Fabian Schär intercepted and set up Gordon, who clinically finished to put Newcastle 4-0 up on aggregate, effectively ending Arsenal’s hopes.

The result was met with jubilation from Newcastle supporters, who chanted, “Mikel Arteta, it must be the ball,” mocking the Arsenal manager’s previous comments about the match ball used in the competition.

Arsenal’s Trophy Wait Continues

Bruno Guimaraes and Ethan Nwaneri and Sandro Tonali challenge. (Photo by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)

For Arsenal, this loss adds to the growing narrative that they struggle to convert progress into silverware.

Although they remain in contention for the Premier League and Champions League, this setback raises questions about whether they have the cutting edge required to win major titles.

Twice they have pushed Manchester City for the Premier League title, only to fall short.

The last trophy Arsenal won was the FA Cup in 2020 under Arteta, but only one player from that squad—Kieran Tierney—remains at the club.

One of Arsenal’s biggest concerns has been their attacking firepower, particularly after they opted not to sign a striker in the January transfer window.

Reports suggest they made a £40 million bid for Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins but balked at the club’s £60 million asking price.

Watching Isak torment their defense served as a painful reminder of what they lack up front.

Arteta: ‘We Have to Look Forward’

Speaking after the game, Arteta urged his squad to regroup ahead of their warm-weather training camp in Dubai, where they will prepare for the remainder of the season.

“We need to swallow this one. It is a tough one,” Arteta admitted.

“We had a lot of expectations. We knew the difficulty of the task because of the result we brought from London, but there is nothing we can do right now.”

“What we could do was on the pitch a few minutes ago. Now we have to look forward.”

“First of all, I think this is going to be a painful one. While we are in Dubai, recharge and go again because we still have a lot to play [for].”

Arteta also confirmed that winger Gabriel Martinelli, who was substituted in the first half, will undergo an MRI scan on Thursday to assess a suspected hamstring injury.

Newcastle’s Road to Redemption

For Newcastle, this victory marks another step in their resurgence under Eddie Howe.

After finishing as runners-up in last season’s Carabao Cup final against Manchester United, they now have another chance to end their decades-long trophy drought.

As the full-time whistle blew, the stadium announcer summed up the mood perfectly: “Book your trains, book your hotels, we’re ga’an to Wembley.”

Now, Newcastle’s path to silverware is clear. For Arsenal, the road remains uncertain.