More midweek action to look back on now as we recap the EFL Cup ties involving Arsenal and Newcastle United.
As ever with these Scout Notes, it’s all about the lessons we can take into the upcoming Gameweek.
- Tuesday’s EFL Cup notes pt1: Slot on Isak – can he start in Gameweek 6?
- Tuesday’s EFL Cup notes pt2: Tosin + Sanchez boost, Guiu ‘injury’ + no Pedro
- Tuesday’s EFL Cup notes pt3: Kevin injury + ยฃ4.9m midfielder scores four
- Wednesday’s Europa League notes: Milenkovic injury latest, no Murillo + Ange on Jesus v Wood
RESULTS
| Team | Opponent | Result | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | Port Vale (a) | 2-0 win | Eze, Trossard | Lewis-Skelly, Saliba |
| Newcastle United | Bradford City (h) | 4-1 win | Joelinton x2, Osula x2 | Gordon, Bruno G x2, Barnes |
SELECTION/ROTATION
| Team | No. of starting XI changes made from GW5 | Players who kept their places (mins played) | Mins for other players |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | 9 | Saliba (90), Merino (71) | Kepa (90), Mosquera (90), Lewis-Skelly (90), Norgaard (90), Nwaneri (90), Martinelli (81), Eze (81), White (71), Saka (63), Dowman (27), Gabriel (19), Gyokeres (19), Trossard (9), Rice (9) |
| Newcastle United | 7 | Thiaw (90), Miley (90), Botman (89), Hall (61) | Ramsdale (90), Guimaraes (90), Joelinton (90), Osula (90), Gordon (69), Elanga (69), Krafth (61), Trippier (29), Livramento (29), Barnes (21), Woltemade (21), A Murphy (1) |
ARTETA ON SUBBING SAKA
Given that he’s just back from injury, it was a bit of a surprise to see Bukayo Saka (ยฃ9.8m) get a decent amount of game-time against a League One side just days before Arsenal head to Newcastle United.
Saka lasted just over an hour at Vale Park, failing to make much of an impression and not registering a single shot – not that anything but avoiding an injury recurrence really mattered in this glorified fitness-building exercise.
He seems to have achieved that, despite being clobbered by a Vale player.
“It was planned – 60 minutes was the maximum. We had four, almost five players already in the line-up that we had to get out for different reasons, especially for load and coming from long periods out, so, we planned for that. The good thing is that nobody got injured, so he has no muscular issues. So that’s a very positive thing again.” – Mikel Arteta on Bukayo Saka
EZE IN MIDFIELD
There were few meaningful takeaways from this contest, which Arsenal predictably bossed with 80% of the ball.
Mikel Merino (ยฃ5.9m) led the line with Viktor Gyokeres (ยฃ9.0m) rested, while recent supersub Gabriel Martinelli (ยฃ6.9m) got a chance on the left. It’s games like these where the argument that Martinelli is a better ‘finisher’ of games than a starter gains credence.
No one really dominated for the Gunners, with Ethan Nwaneri (ยฃ5.3m) and Eberechi Eze (ยฃ7.5m) perhaps the brightest as ‘eights’. Between them, they had five of Arsenal’s 11 shots. Vale had three, none on target.
Eze had dropped deeper in the second half of the Manchester City game on Sunday and here he was starting in central midfield again, endeavouring to probe from the middle of the park. He bagged his first Arsenal goal, too, when Martinelli’s low ball found its way to him in the eighth minute of Wednesday’s contest.
Substitute Leandro Trossard (ยฃ6.9m) added gloss to the score late on.
“He played very centrally against a team that’s obviously with a 5-4-1; they are a super compact inside. It’s not easy to find spaces, but he’s very capable with the ball. You’ve seen that in another three or four actions that he’s completely through, and playing people through. He still needs a little more time with those guys to understand the timings, especially the things that he needs to do. Then actions like that will be more consistent and better for us. In general, very good – there is still a lot more to give, I think.”
With Merino flopping in the last two matches, would Arteta consider starting Eze in midfield against Newcastle on Sunday? It may depend on the fitness of Martin Odegaard (ยฃ7.9m), who Arteta said earlier this week had recommenced training.
OSULA BAGS A BRACE
Again, not a huge deal we can take out of a contest that Newcastle coasted through. To paraphrase Neville Southall: “Well done, he’s League One.”
The Magpies seem to get through their 4-1 win over Bradford unscathed, with Sven Botman‘s (ยฃ4.9m) late substitution – and the ones that preceded it – not injury-related.
The main lesson from the last week is that, unlike in Newcastle’s previous incursion into the Champions League in 2023/24, when Howe (somewhat enforced through injury) kept running the same players into the ground three times a week, the Magpies boss seems a lot happier to use his squad this time.
There doesn’t seem to be a ‘priority’ competition, either. Bruno Guimaraes (ยฃ6.5m) and Joelinton (ยฃ5.9m) dropping to the bench for the Gameweek 5 draw at Bournemouth, then lasting 90 minutes against a Football League outfit, underscores that.
Joelinton returned to bag a brace here, with Will Osula (ยฃ5.5m) – in for the benched Nick Woltemade (ยฃ7.1m), who Howe is only starting once a week – matching the Brazilian with two goals of his own.
“Slowly but surely, he is improving his game. It wasn’t just his goals tonight; it was his hold-up play, his wing play.
“He’s done his chancesย (of Premier League pitch time)ย no harm.” – Eddie Howe on Will Osula, quoted by nufc.com
Anthony Gordon (ยฃ7.4m) meanwhile came back from a three-match domestic ban and adds to the stiff competition out wide.
