Newcastle United has secured a spot in the English League Cup final, presenting them with yet another chance to end a 70-year title drought for a major domestic trophy. The club, under Saudi ownership, triumphed over Arsenal with a convincing 2-0 victory in the semifinals’ second leg, progressing with a 4-0 aggregate score. Goals by Jacob Murphy and Anthony Gordon at a spirited St. James’ Park propelled Newcastle into the final.

The final is scheduled for March 16 at Wembley Stadium, where Newcastle will face either Tottenham or Liverpool. Tottenham currently holds a narrow 1-0 advantage after the first leg, with the deciding match taking place at Anfield on Thursday.

This upcoming final presents a pivotal chance for Newcastle to claim their first major trophy since being acquired by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund in 2021. Their last significant silverware was the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1969, while their most recent domestic title was the FA Cup back in 1955.

Newcastle previously reached the League Cup final in 2023 but suffered a 2-0 defeat against Manchester United. Captain Bruno Guimaraes expressed his ambition after the match against Arsenal, stating, “Play like that and we can dream big. It would be amazing in my first season as the captain to lift a trophy; it is my dream.”

Arsenal entered the match with confidence after a stunning 5-1 victory against Manchester City in the Premier League the prior Sunday, hoping to overturn a 2-0 deficit from the first leg at the Emirates Stadium last month. However, they struggled to cope with the electrifying atmosphere at St. James’ Park, which impacted the performance of their normally reliable defense. Newcastle nearly took an early lead when Alexander Isak’s goal was disallowed for offside after a video review just four minutes in. This decision was communicated to the crowd using a wireless microphone, a new initiative being trialed in the competition.

Arsenal had a close call when Martin Odegaard hit the post, but Newcastle broke the deadlock in the 19th minute. Isak’s shot rebounded off the post, and Murphy capitalized on the opportunity to score. Arsenal’s hopes for a comeback diminished further when Gabriel Martinelli suffered a muscle injury just before halftime. Gordon put the match almost out of reach for Arsenal by scoring the second goal after Declan Rice lost possession, allowing Gordon to fire a well-placed shot into the bottom corner past goalkeeper David Raya.

As a two-time League Cup winner, Arsenal aimed to reach the final for the first time since 2018, where they suffered a 3-0 defeat to Manchester City. Newcastle fans took the opportunity in the closing minutes to taunt Arsenal’s manager Mikel Arteta, chanting, “Mikel Arteta, it must be the ball,” referencing his earlier comments about the League Cup ball being different from the Premier League ball after their first-leg loss.

Gordon seemed to add a cheeky remark regarding Arsenal post-match, given their previous taunts towards Manchester City striker Erling Haaland. “It is important for us to stay humble now,” he said, looking ahead to the final. “It will be a big occasion but it’s so far away.”