Mikel Arteta admitted that Alexander Isak’s influence on Newcastle’s dominant Carabao Cup victory over Arsenal was undeniable.
Holding a two-goal advantage from the first leg, Eddie Howe’s side went on the offensive at St James’ Park, clinically dismantling the Gunners.
Isak, who had previously tormented Arsenal and scored the winner in an earlier encounter this season, thought he had added to his tally just four minutes in with a superb finish, only for VAR to disallow it due to a tight offside call.
The Swedish forward came close again when his shot rebounded off the post after beating William Saliba, but his disappointment was short-lived as Jacob Murphy converted the rebound.
Isak continued to trouble Saliba before being substituted three minutes before the final whistle, receiving a standing ovation from the home crowd.
The 25-year-old has long been linked with Arsenal and is viewed as a potential solution to their attacking struggles. Whether the Gunners will renew their interest in him after opting not to make a move in January remains uncertain, and Arteta chose not to comment on Isak’s latest impressive display.
“I’m not here to assess opposition players, but it’s obvious that he had two big chances, and you all saw what happened,” Arteta remarked.
With Arsenal also eliminated from the FA Cup, Arteta now has the opportunity to take his squad to Dubai for a warm-weather training camp.
Last season, a similar trip was credited with sparking a strong run of form that nearly secured Arsenal the league title, and the manager will be hoping for a repeat as his side remains in contention for major honors.
When asked if a congested fixture list contributed to Arsenal’s underwhelming performance, Arteta was reluctant to use it as an excuse.
“I wouldn’t like to say that,” he responded. “Especially after a loss, but physically, we were tired. We’ve played so many matches every three days, and we knew this one would demand high intensity.
“Emotionally, it was also a different kind of game. We needed to believe until the very end, but the match slipped away from us before we could do that.”
He continued: “This is a tough one to take because we had high expectations. We knew how difficult the task would be after the first-leg result, but we can’t change anything now.
“What mattered was what happened on the pitch a few minutes ago. Now, we have to move forward. It will hurt, but once we’re in Dubai, we need to reset and push on because there’s still a lot to fight for.”
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