Arsenal have been drawn against Newcastle in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup and will contest their first of the two legs at Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners reached this stage having secured a 3-2 comeback victory over Crystal Palace in the quarter-finals. A Gabriel Jesus hat-trick inspired Mikel Arteta's side on the way to making it into the last four.
Arteta will be looking forward to the semi-final tie and will view the matchup with a struggling Newcastle side as an excellent chance to progress to the final.
Arsenal draw Newcastle in Carabao Cup semi-finals
Gabriel Jesus
Jesus was Arsenal's hero in the last round | Alex Pantling/GettyImages
The draw was made on Thursday evening after the final four was completed with Tottenham's dramatic 4-3 win over 2023 winners Manchester United. Arsenal were the first to be pulled out, being dealt a first leg home advantage.
The Gunners have already faced Newcastle this season, falling to a 1-0 defeat at St James' Park but have vastly improved their form since.
It will certainly not be an easy tie for Arsenal considering Newcastle's record against them at home. The Magpies have beaten the Gunners on three occasions during Mikel Arteta's reign as boss, with each victory coming at St James' Park. The second leg in Newcastle will certainly prove to be a challenge.
Second leg under the lights at SJP. Not for the faint hearted. https://t.co/4JNBUp0YxF
— Pain In The Arsenal (@PainInThArsenal) December 19, 2024
The two sides have met just twice previously in the League Cup, in 1971 and 1996, with Arsenal winning 4-0 and 2-0 respectively.
Arsenal will be looking to beat Newcastle as they aim to go a step further than when they last reached the semi-finals. The Gunners were knocked out by Liverpool in the 2021-22 season but now have the chance to make just their second final under Arteta. The Magpies will also be keen to win with the chance of making the final and banishing the memories of their 2023 last hurdle loss to Man United.
The first leg will be played the week commencing 6 January 2025 with the second being contested the week of 3 February.
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