Another Wembley trip for Newcastle United will be here before they know it.

The Magpies have just five fixtures between now and then with only four being in the Premier League, however, they couldn't look much tougher for Eddie Howe's side.

• Birmingham City (a) FA Cup
• Man City (a)
• Nottingham Forest (h)
• Liverpool (a)
• West Ham (h)
• EFL Cup final

Should Liverpool overcome Tottenham Hotspur and progress to the EFL Cup final this evening, Newcastle will travel to Anfield in the Premier League just two games before.

Olivier Bernard
Former Newcastle United defender on 5 Live Breakfast

Newcastle has the best supporters, the best crowd. They showed it last night.

I think everybody wants to see Newcastle in this final at Wembley and everybody wants to see Newcastle winning a trophy. It's been a long wait. I believe that the lads are ready to do well and to win it.

70% of the players were on the pitch [in their 2023 League Cup final loss to Manchester United], they will remember what happened. They missed [a chance] that day, because I don't think Manchester United were the better side.

The players can be disappointed with the final but there's another one coming up and I'm sure they will make it right with this one. I'm very confident, this year, it might happen.

After a couple of hours or so of polling, 73% of you believe Eddie Howe is underrated as a manager.

Any underappreciation for the Newcastle boss will surely vanish if he can end the club's long wait for a trophy.

Mike Jones: I don't understand the fans that say 'it's only the league Cup!' As a Liverpool fan last year's final against Chelsea is one of my favourite memories as a supporter and silverware should be celebrated no matter what competition.

Hear, hear, Mike.

Image source, Getty Images

Alexander Isak showed Arsenal exactly what they were missing from a true number nine standpoint yesterday evening.

Goal-threat aside, the tough time he gave defender William Saliba was one of the biggest talking points.

The France centre-back has rarely had such a difficult night in an Arsenal shirt. Often the dominant one whomever he comes up against, Saliba just couldn't get to grips with Isak at St James' Park.

Gary Neville said he had "never seen Saliba so ruffled" during his co-commentary on Sky Sports, while social media became a barrage of memes and GIFs surrounding the Frenchman's difficult night.

It's not often we see Gabriel and William Saliba in as much difficulty as they were last night trying to keep Alexander Isak quiet.

Alan Shearer tried to raise the topic when he checked in on fellow pundit Ian Wright following last night's match, but Wrighty hasn't taken him up on that offer just yet.

At least not publicly, anyway...

Image source, Alan Shearer

Ian Dennis
BBC Radio 5 Live senior football reporter

Since the last domestic trophy in 1955, Newcastle have got to five domestic finals and lost them all. They will use that hurt.

They didn't really show up against Manchester United two years ago, they will use that experience and whether it be against Liverpool or Tottenham, they will try to put this long wait to bed.

The League Cup pulling off the greatest unexpected comeback in football since...

Image source, Getty Images

Arsenal's woes were added to last night when they suffered yet another injury issue to a forward player.

Gabriel Martinelli was forced off midway through the first-half with what looked to be a hamstring problem.

When asked about the extent of the injury after the game, manager Mikel Arteta said: "He felt something, I think it was his hamstring and he wasn't comfortable to continue.

"We will have to have an MRI scan on Thursday to see the extent of his injury."

Bukayo Saka remains on the sidelines with a hamstring injury of his own, while Gabriel Jesus will not play again this season due to an ACL injury.

No striker signed. Star winger Bukayo Saka out until next month and forward Gabriel Jesus ruled out for the season.

The last thing Arsenal really needed last night was to see another attacking player suffer a potential injury...

Mikel Arteta won the FA Cup just seven months after becoming Arsenal boss - beating Chelsea 2-1 in August 2020 at Wembley.

They have not won a trophy or reached a final since, losing three semi-finals - two in the EFL Cup and one in the Europa League.

"This Arsenal team need a trophy," former Manchester United captain Gary Neville said on Sky Sports.

"Alexander Isak on one side and Kai Havertz on the other – just imagine what the sides would be if they swapped shirts.

"It has shone a massive spotlight on the toothlessness of Arsenal's front players compared to Newcastle's."

Image source, Getty Images

As a neutral here, I must admit I have been hoping for a Newcastle v Tottenham final since the semi-final draw was made.

Two clubs with a combined 73-year wait for silverware going all-out for glory at Wembley? Sounds rather tasty to me.

Skully: Geordies everywhere praying for a Spurs win tonight. Newcastle haven't beaten Liverpool in 16 games and that is not going to change anytime soon.

Chris Waddle
Former Newcastle & England winger on BBC Radio 5 Live

Arsenal are out of the FA Cup and out of the League Cup, they can focus now on chasing down Liverpool, who are still in everything, and the Champions League.

They will not be happy with their performance over the two legs, particularly tonight. However it could help them chase down Liverpool.

Ok, we have a new favourite stat from last night's match.

Forget Eddie Howe's tactical influence. This was a Jacob Murphy masterclass.

In 80 minutes on the pitch he registered two successful passes, from five attempted, among 14 touches - with one of which he effectively sent Newcastle to Wembley after 19 minutes.

This is the definition of what Mikel Arteta is talking about when he mentions "efficiency"...

Newcastle, who have an obvious talisman in Alexander Isak, had 17 shots to Arsenal's 34 across the two legs - and won 4-0.

Usually football managers pretend they are happy regardless after a transfer window where they fail to recruit, but Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta admitted he was "disappointed" that they "haven't achieved it".

"They have been more efficient than us in the boxes and that is the difference in the tie," said Arteta after last night's loss.

"You need to be on the day very efficient. That is what takes you close to winning trophies and today we weren't."

Image source, Getty Images

And that was just from chanting at Mikel Arteta about the ball ey, Jonny?

It obviously helps when, in Newcastle and Tottenham, you have two teams desperate to end their long wait for silverware, but that atmosphere last night and the anticipation in the lead-up to both semi-finals makes you think.

Is the League Cup fashionable again?

For a time, amid talk of schedule pressures, it was talked of as being the competition clubs would sacrifice. But with the competitiveness at the top of the Premier League increasing, and a European place up for grabs for the winner, lifting the trophy seems like a bigger deal these days.

While we're looking at the more tactical aspects of the game, we couldn't not show this touch map from Arsenal forward Kai Havertz.

It may be one of the most sporadic we have ever seen from a player deployed as a number nine.

Granted, not every striker's job is to be that of a 'poacher' and stay in and around the box at all times - but none of us can recall seeing one quite this spread out for a while.

There is no real common area of the field where the ball is picked up - he is quite literally everywhere. It's almost difficult to pinpoint which is Martin Dubravka's area (right) in the Newcastle goal and which is David Raya's (left).

Out of his 44 touches on the night, only six were in the Magpies' 18-yard box. Not nearly enough for an Arsenal side needing to overhaul a two goal deficit before a ball was even kicked...