Eddie Howe says Newcastle have to be “on their guard” against Arsenal as they try to secure a place in the EFL Cup final tomorrow night.
The Magpies, who have not claimed a domestic trophy since 1955, won the first leg of their semi-final against the Gunners 2-0 at the Emirates after withstanding huge pressure in a smash-and-grab victory.
But Howe is wary of getting carried away against a team that showed their attacking prowess in their 5-1 demolition of defending Premier League champions Manchester City on Sunday.
Eddie Howe on tomorrow’s second leg against Arsenal:
“My message is, we are at the halfway point in the tie. Against any opposition the game is still very much alive. We have to approach the game in a really positive and aggressive way, try and be ourselves, there will be no… pic.twitter.com/7jMd4lwOoQ
— Newcastle United (@NUFC) February 4, 2025
He said: “I think my message is we’re at the halfway point, the away game was a good performance from us but against any opposition, the game is still alive. You then add the quality of Arsenal [and] we have to be on our guard.
“We have to try and be positive and aggressive, there will be no deviation from that. We have to engage the crowd and try and make the most of every opportunity.”
Tricky window for Howe
Newcastle failed to add to their squad in the January window as they continue to struggle with PSR requirements, although they did bring in some much-needed revenue through the sales of Lloyd Kelly to Juventus and Miguel Almiron to Atlanta United.
“I said right at the start it was not a case of looking at incomings, a case of trying to manage outgoings and not weaken the squad too much that it would be affected,” added Howe.
“We’ve managed PSR and the two sales achieve that. The squad is lighter but full of quality. We can still achieve success.”
Howe reluctant to let Kelly leave
The sale of Kelly was a particular blow to Howe but made sense financially with the Saudi Arabian-owned club having brought him in on a free transfer last summer.
“I don’t think it was necessarily my decision to let him leave, very reluctant from our side,” said Howe.
“Lloyd is a player we just signed, we believe in his qualities. Slightly frustrating he didn’t play more, but that’s perhaps been down to the form of others. We’ve had to try and manage PSR and make decisions that benefit us, this is one of those. An exciting opportunity for him.”