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“Arsenal Fans Stunned as THIS Newcastle Player Gets the Biggest Cheer – And It’s NOT Isak
It was no surprise that Arsenal fans were eager to see Alexander Isak at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, but it was Newcastle United who left with the advantage after a 2-0 victory in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semifinal.
Alexander Isak opened the scoring in the 37th minute, marking his 50th goal for Newcastle and 15th of the season. Anthony Gordon extended their lead six minutes into the second half. Eddie Howe will be pleased with his team’s performance, as they refused to sit back, overcoming a challenging first half to secure a strong position heading into the second leg at St James’ Park.
Despite missing key players like Bruno Guimaraes and Fabian Schar, Newcastle’s defense, led by Sven Botman, stood firm, and Joe Willock’s composed midfield display added to the team’s success.
At full-time, goalkeeper Martin Dubravka seemed to bid farewell to Newcastle fans as he prepares to join Al-Shabab in the coming days.
However, it was the Arsenal fans’ gesture before the match that caught attention. Joe Willock, who joined Newcastle from Arsenal in 2021 after a successful loan spell, received a warm welcome from his former supporters. Though he has battled injuries, Willock has become a regular for Newcastle under Howe. As the Newcastle players arrived, Isak received a round of applause, with one fan saying, “Welcome home” to the Swedish striker. But Willock was met with an even larger ovation as fans of his former club once again welcomed him “home.”
Willock played 65 minutes in the win, contributing 21 touches, eight passes, three recoveries, one interception, and one block, despite a relatively quiet game.
Eddie Howe also made history with the victory. Prior to this match, he had never won at the Emirates as manager of either Bournemouth or Newcastle, with his best result being a 0-0 draw in 2022. This was also Newcastle’s first win at Arsenal since November 2010, ending a 13-match winless run at the stadium.
Howe will now shift his focus to the third round of the FA Cup, where Newcastle will host League Two side Bromley at St James’ Park on Sunday.
