Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal’s demanding fixture schedule played a major role in their Carabao Cup semi-final defeat to Newcastle United, admitting his players struggled to cope with the physical and emotional demands of the contest. Softfootball reports the Gunners crashed out after a 2-0 defeat at St. James’ Park, losing 4-0 on aggregate.
Arsenal entered the match hoping to overturn their first-leg deficit following an impressive Premier League victory over Manchester City, but they failed to reproduce that level of performance against a disciplined Newcastle side.
Goals from Jacob Murphy and Anthony Gordon secured another comfortable win for Eddie Howe’s men, ending Arsenal’s hopes of reaching the final. Arteta acknowledged that the relentless run of matches had left his squad fatigued and unable to maintain the intensity required for such a high-stakes encounter.
The Spaniard also admitted Arsenal made life difficult for themselves by falling behind in the first leg, leaving them with too much ground to recover despite their determination.
With their Carabao Cup campaign over, Arsenal will now shift their attention to the Premier League and UEFA Champions League, where Arteta’s side remain in contention for silverware during the remainder of the season.
