Arsenal Must Upgrade £280k p/w Man Who Was a ‘Hard Watch’ in Newcastle Defeat.
Arsenal crumbled to a 2-0 defeat at their home ground in the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-finals against Newcastle. The result sees the Gunners facing a steep hill to climb, with a considerable deficit to recover in the second leg, which will be held at St. James’ Park in February.
The Gunners headed into the tie with some fresh availability boosts, including Kai Havertz, who returned to the starting eleven following illness. Despite that, putting a dent in Newcastle’s form was never going to be easy, as Eddie Howe’s men had registered six wins in their last six across all competitions beforehand. They faced a flurry of attempts in early proceedings, though this amounted to nothing for Arsenal, and Aleksander Isak eventually punished the hosts with a clinical finish inside the box before half-time.
He almost added another for himself in the opening minutes of the second half with some exceptional close control to manufacture a shot in the final third. While David Raya managed to get a palm to the attempt, it landed in front of Anthony Gordon, who doubled the Magpies’ advantage on the night. It was an exceptional performance by all accounts by the Swede, who has been linked with a move to north London in the meantime.
Despite some fairly valiant efforts, Arsenal ended the match goalless – a rare occurrence at N5. The scoreline may indicate a dominant display from the visiting outfit, but the home side weren’t short of opportunities. They recorded a total expected goals statistic of 3.09, much greater than their opposition’s 1.22, but to no avail.
Havertz, in particular, endured a night to forget. Evidently out of practice after his period on the sidelines, the 25-year-old struggled to find space within Newcastle’s imperious defence. It feels as though the need for new reinforcements in attack is as apparent as ever, and the solution may just be starting right in Arteta’s face.
Dismal Performance from Havertz Against Newcastle
The German missed a big chance to bring his side back into the game
No player on the night lost more duels on the pitch than the Arsenal centre-forward, who emerged second-best in such encounters a total of ten times in 90 minutes. Despite attempting the most total shots of any player with four, he managed to hit the target just once, with two on target and one blocked.
One of the team’s best chances at halving the deficit in the second half occurred when a deflected cross landed towards the £280,000-per-week ace in acres of space. A simple header directed towards goal would likely have beaten Martin Dubravka, but the German international fumbled his timing and the ball bounced awkwardly off his shoulder instead.
Arsenal Fans Demand Isak Signing as Havertz Upgrade
The Swede displayed his talent in front of the Emirates crowd
Alexander Isak
With 12 strikes across all competitions, it has been difficult to pinpoint much of the team’s finishing woes on the club’s top-scorer, particularly given he has recently returned from illness as well. However, an out-and-out striker has reportedly been an ongoing priority for Arteta and his entourage for quite some time now, and fans are now demanding some advancement in this regard, especially having seen a standout performance from a key target first-hand.
Isak was Arsenal’s primary tormentor on the night, registering a goal, and playing a key role in another for his team as well. It was the Swede’s 15th goal across all competitions, at least three more than any Arsenal player this term, and he has been in scintillating form as of late with 10 goals and a further two assists in just his last nine outings.
Many supporters have taken to X (formerly Twitter) to call for his signing as an upgrade to their current crop, with one writing: “Isak is a joke. Get this man to travel on our bus. Give Newcastle Havertz, Partey, Kiwior, Zinchenko, and a hundred million.” Another shared a similar sentiment about the Newcastle forward: “Wish we had an elite attacker like Isak. Watching Havertz and Trossard is a hard watch.”
Many fans insisted that there is a gulf in quality between the two players, with one fan suggesting: “The difference between Havertz and Isak is scary.” Similarly, many supporters have denounced the perspective of Isak being an unnecessary upgrade, with one writing: “Fans were actually saying Arsenal don’t need Isak because we have Havertz.” Another noted: “There were arsenal fans saying Havertz was a more complete CF than Isak earlier in the season.”
As it stands, Newcastle remain reluctant to part ways with their star this month in the January transfer window, though Ben Jacobs has exclusively revealed to GIVEMESPORT that Isak remains a “dream priority”, and it could be a move explored next summer.
Statistics courtesy of SofaScore.com and FotMob.com – Correct as of 07/01/2025
