Eddie Howe masterminded Newcastle’s superb win over Arsenal (Image: Sky Sports)
After defeating Arsenal handily over two legs, Newcastle advanced to the Carabao Cup final for the second time in three years, and Eddie Howe gave a post-match explanation of his strategy.
According to Eddie Howe, Newcastle developed the strategy that defeated Arsenal in the Carabao Cup in just two days.
With a two-goal lead from the first leg, the Magpies welcomed Mikel Arteta’s team to a boisterous St. James’ Park. And Newcastle advanced to the final the following month with a further 2-0 victory on the evening, making it 4-0 overall.
Anthony Gordon put an end to proceedings early in the second half, and with Jacob Murphy’s strike in the 19th minute, Arsenal never looked like they could recover a three-goal lead.
Howe’s choice to convert to a back three with wing-backs paid off, making it a tactical victory. Additionally, he disclosed after the game that the plan was only assembled on Monday.
“It was a great night for us,” he told Sky Sports. Although it was a difficult game, we played well tactically. Being forceful was the intended outcome, but sometimes it doesn’t work. It did today. It, in my opinion, strengthened our strategy. We were constantly in the game, even though we occasionally had to back off.
“On Monday, the work [on the game plan] got underway, which is swift. We worked on such two-day turnarounds last year with the support of the Champions League. Depending on the competition, we do make adjustments. We believed that in order to win the game, we needed to make a change and add additional height to the lineup. We also wanted solidity at the back.
“The players deserve the credit because they adhered to the instructions exactly. As part of his duty, Fabian [Schar] had to cover a lot of ground, following Declan Rice whether he moved middle, wide, or sank low. He occasionally crossed the pitch directly. He is capable of accomplishing it and is a good athlete.
Newcastle romped to victory at St James’ Park to make it through to the Carabao Cup final
In the moments leading up to the home team’s second goal, Newcastle’s relentless press did wonders and forced Arsenal to give up possession just outside their own penalty area.
“We wanted to put pressure on them [William Saliba and Gabriel], and to do that we had to get bodies in the right areas and press high – that is how we decided to do it,” Howe said, revealing that all of that was part of the plan.
