Arsenal battle Newcastle United in the EFL Cup semi-final first leg on Tuesday. Both teams have been in good form ahead of this clash and could serve up a closely fought contest, with their impressive attacks expected to produce goals.
A hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus was enough to earn Arsenal a 3-2 victory over Crystal Palace in the previous round and a place in the semi-final of the EFL Cup. That result is part of a 13 match unbeaten run for the Gunners, who have impressed lately.
Arsenal warmed up for Tuesday’s semi-final with a 1-1 draw away at Brighton in a Premier League fixture on Saturday. They struck first through Ethan Nwaneri but were pegged back by the Seagulls.
Newcastle were also rampant in the previous round as they beat Brentford 3-1 to earn a place in the semi-final of the EFL Cup. They will be looking to go one better this time around having lost to Manchester United in the 2023 final.
The Magpies have been in good form lately, winning their last six matches across all competitions. Eddie Howe’s men head to the Emirates off the back of a 2-1 victory at Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Saturday.
How the bookies view it: Arsenal to win
Arsenal are considered overwhelming favourites among the bookies and are priced at 11/20 by BoyleSports to claim the win. A victory for Newcastle United is valued at 7/2 by BoyleSports, who are also offering odds of 3/1 for a draw.
Head to head: Slight edge for Arsenal
Arsenal have a 76-62 advantage with 35 draws from 173 previous matches against Newcastle United. However, it has been three wins each with one draw from the last seven meetings between both teams, although the Magpies won 1-0 in a Premier League clash at St James’ Park in August.
Players to watch: Both attacks to shine
Gabriel Jesus has stepped up for Arsenal in recent matches, scoring six goals in his last five matches in all competitions, including a hat-trick in the previous round. The Gunners also have the likes of Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli and can score over 1.5 goals at 6/10 with BoyleSports.
Newcastle United also have an in-form striker of their own, with Alexander Isak scoring six goals in his last four matches. He should have support from the likes of Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes and all three men can help the Magpies produce over 0.5 goals at 2/5 with BoyleSports.
Probable line-ups
Bukayo Saka remains sidelined with injury alongside Ben White and Raheem Sterling. Jurrien Timber could return after missing the game at Brighton through Suspension while Jesus is expected to continue in attack.
Newcastle United are still without goalkeeper Nick Pope, who is sidelined with injury. Fabian Schar is set to return after serving a suspension at Spurs while Harvey Barnes could earn a start in attack after featuring off the bench on Saturday.
Arsenal: Raya, Timber, Gabriel, Saliba, Calafiori, Jorginho, Rice, Odegaard, Trossard, Martinelli, Jesus
Newcastle United: Dubravka, Livramento, Schar, Burn, Hall, Tonali, Joelinton, Guimaraes, Gordon, Barnes, Isak
Anything else catch the eye?
Both teams come into this match in similar form and with a closely fought encounter expected, a halftime draw could be on the cards at 11/8 with BoyleSports. This match is likely to come to life after the break and both teams can be backed to score in the second half at 9/5 with BoyleSports.
Newcastle United have seen over 3.5 goals in five of their last eight matches in all competitions and a repeat is priced at 7/5 by BoyleSports.
This EFL Cup match between Arsenal and Newcastle United will be played on Jan 7, 2025 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Arsenal vs Newcastle United prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
