‘A Lot At Stake For Us’: Eddie Howe Calls On Newcastle To Avoid Complacency Against Arsenal In EFL Cup – News18

Last Updated:January 06, 2025, 23:38 IST

Howe emphasised the essence of the upcoming fixture against the Gunners in the semis of the EFL Cup and called for his players to be on their toes against Mikel Arteta’s men.

Premier League side Newcastle United take on Arsenal in the semi-final of the EFL League Cup on Wednesday on the back of a scintillating run in the English top flight.

Eddie Howe’s men picked up a 2-1 win over Tottenham to extend their winning run to six games across all competitions, including a 2-0 triumph over Manchester United and a 3-0 thumping of Aston Villa.

Howe, however, emphasised the essence of the upcoming fixture against the Gunners in the first leg of the semis and called for his players to be on their toes and avoid complacency.

“This is an important game for us. We need to be at our absolute best, a high-level game. There is a lot at stake for us,” Howe said.

“We’ve got to be really good off the ball and solid defensively. We’ve got to cause Arsenal problems the other way,” he elaborated.

“I don’t think we should overthink it, we just need to get that mix right. Let’s try and continue the good performances we’ve given recently and try and win the game,” he iterated.

Newcastle’s efforts have been highlighted by the purple patch Alexander Isak seems to have found as the Swede has managed to find the back of the net for seven consecutive games in the lead-up to the clash against Mikel Arteta’s men. Howe also lauded his team for creating scoring opportunities for their striker.

“Alex will naturally feel like scoring when you are on the run of goalscoring games that he is,” Howe added.

“The team is creating for him, the team is playing in a really good way for Alex and others. Alex is playing his part in that by finishing them off but the team is playing great and creating the chances for him,” the Englishman said.

The Newcastle squad was also handed a boost thanks to the return of defender Sven Botman following a prolonged bout on the sidelines. Howe stated that he would ascertain the condition of the 24-year-old Dutchman after a discussion with his staff and arrive at the decision on fielding him.

“Sven is a competitor. He is hugely driven for the team and himself. He wants to do really well in his career so I’ve got no doubts what he will say, but we need to speak to the player, the medical team, and the experts and try and come up with the right decision,” the 47-year-old said.

“They’ll give me some of the answers to what we do with him next,” Howe continued.

“He feels good, naturally a little bit of fatigue at the end. He has trained for a long, long time for this moment. It is not like he has been rushed back. Straight into action, he did very well,” the Newcastle gaffer concluded.

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