Arsenal vs Newcastle LIVE: Team news, line-ups and latest updates from Carabao Cup semi-final

Arsenal have won all four of their League Cup meetings with Newcastle, scoring 12 goals and conceding none. The last such match was a 4-0 win at St James’ Park in the 2010/11 fourth round.

Here’s Eddie Howe chatting about the fitness of Newcastle defender Sven Botman who has recently returned from injury:

“He feels good. Naturally, a little bit of fatigue at the end of the game [versus Spurs] but I think, with Sven, it was a long absence but he’s trained for a long, long time for this moment.

“After the Aston Villa game, he was cleared to play but we wanted to give him longer to try and reach his best physical levels. It is not like he has been rushed back. Straight into action, he did very well, (I was) really pleased with him and he handled the intensity well.”

The Newcastle manager knows how important these next two games will be for his team and hopes his players are ‘at their absolute best’ when they take on Arsenal tonight.

Howe said: “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.

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

Ahead of the game the Arsenal boss said: “We’re very excited to play the game in front of our crowd.

“A semi-final, an opportunity to earn the right to be in a final and that starts tomorrow with two legs. Obviously they’re going to be two long games against a very competitive team, we know that, but very excited and we need a big, big atmosphere in our stadium.

“The way we can feel at the Emirates with our people is incredible and I’m very positive that tomorrow we’re going to create a big one against really good opposition in the semi-final of the cup that we want to win, so let’s go for it.”

Arsenal host Newcastle in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final on Tuesday night, with both sides looking to take what could be a vital advantage to St James’ Park (8pm, Sky Sports Main Event).

The Gunners remain firmly in the Premier League title race after the weekend’s results, but attention turns to the first cup competition of the season as Mikel Arteta’s side hunt a first major trophy since 2020.

Arsenal will know how difficult a second leg at St James’ could be, having lost there already this season, and will be desperate to take a lead of any kind to Tyneside, but they face a Newcastle team that has been in fine form in recent weeks, having won their last six matches in all competitions.

Referees will make in-stadium announcements on the outcome of VAR reviews in the remainder of this season’s Carabao Cup, marking a first for English football.

However, the most significant move will be a pilot allowing referees to announce the final outcome of VAR reviews to spectators in the stadium and viewers watching at home.

This will include decisions reviewed by the referee at the pitchside monitor, or upon the conclusion of factual matters such as accidental handball by a goalscorer or offside judgements.

Here’s the team that will take to the field to officiate tonight’s semi-final first leg. Craig Pawson is in charge on the pitch and will referee the game while John Brooks is the VAR overseeing the new rules for the match.

Referee: Craig Pawson Assistants: Ian Hussin, Wade Smith Fourth official: Tony Harrington VAR: John Brooks

Arsenal suffered another selection setback after teen sensation Ethan Nwaneri was ruled out for the rest of the month on the eve of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Newcastle.

The 17-year-old marked his second successive Premier League start by opening the scoring in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Brighton before being withdrawn at half-time.

Nwaneri was handed his chance as a result of injuries to Bukayo Saka, who is expected to be sidelined until March, and Raheem Sterling.

But manager Mikel Arteta now faces being without the teenager for the entirety of January, with Tuesday’s first leg against the Magpies the first of seven fixtures to come during the remainder of the month.

Arsenal have been dealt another injury blow with young star Ethan Nwaneri facing a spell on the sidelines.

Arsenal have been struggling for goals in recent weeks, while Newcastle have six wins on the bounce having scored 18 goals across those games.

The Magpies will come up against one of the toughest defences in the country, but they’ll be confident of taking a result back to St James’ Park.

Arsenal 1-1 Newcastle United.