Mikel Arteta dismissed suggestions that Arsenal’s players might be fatigued following their 2-0 loss to Newcastle in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final, stating he “didn’t even want to talk about that” as a possible explanation.
Newcastle took the lead in the 37th minute when Alexander Isak capitalized on chaos in Arsenal’s box after a long free-kick from Martin Dubravka. The visitors doubled their advantage early in the second half, with Anthony Gordon scoring on the rebound after David Raya had saved Isak’s initial effort.
The Magpies’ victory marked their seventh consecutive win across all competitions and Eddie Howe’s first as a manager at the Emirates. However, Arteta felt the scoreline did not accurately reflect the match.
“If you look at what both teams produced and the control of the game, it’s not a result that tells the full story,” Arteta said in his post-match press conference. “They were incredibly efficient with their chances, and we weren’t. At this level, you need that to dominate and win.”
Despite the setback, Arteta expressed confidence in his team’s ability to overturn the deficit in the second leg. “It’s only half-time. From the way the team played and handled situations against a very strong side, I’m convinced we can go out there and do it.”
When asked about player fatigue given the congested winter schedule, Arteta refused to entertain it as an excuse. “If we lose or draw, it’ll be attributed to that. But if we win and score the three chances we missed, the narrative changes completely. I don’t want to focus on that—we’ve got big games ahead, and the team is motivated.”
Arteta also criticized Arsenal’s defensive lapses, calling both Newcastle goals “preventable.” He highlighted the need for better reactions in key moments, particularly during the sequences leading to the goals.
Looking ahead, Arteta noted that Arsenal, who face Manchester United in the FA Cup this weekend, are in a stronger position than they were at the same point last season. He downplayed injuries as an excuse and remained optimistic about improving team performance.
“Hopefully, we’ll have more players available for the second leg, which will give us the freshness and options we need for this critical period of games,” he concluded.
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