Alexander Isak makes mockery of Arsenal diehard and Newcastle's cheeky celebration - 5 things

Newcastle United have taken control of their Carabao Cup semi-final following a superb 2-0 win against Arsenal at the Emirates.

Alexander Isak opened the scoring for the visitors with a clever finish before half-time and Anthony Gordon doubled Newcastle's advantage from close range.

Here are five things we learned from the first-leg.

Alexander Isak already has a home

A host of former Arsenal players - from Paul Merson to Theo Walcott - have openly talked up Alexander Isak as the Gunners' missing link. Mikel Arteta called the Sweden international a 'top player'. Arsenal fans who gathered outside applauded as Isak got off the team bus while one Gunners supporter even said 'welcome home' as the Newcastle star walked through the players' entrance.

However, Isak already has a home and the 25-year-old showed it after masterfully blocking out the noise. It certainly did not take Isak long to cause his suitors real problems. In the opening quarter of an hour, alone, Isak raced down the right channel, wriggled away from Arsenal defenders and pulled the ball back - only for Joelinton and, then, Lewis Hall to fail to test David Raya.

Isak finally got a chance of his own in the 37th minute and the red-hot striker was not about to miss. Martin Dubravka's searching free-kick was headed on by Sven Botman and Jacob Murphy flicked the ball forward. Isak, who smartly shoved Martin Odegaard to create the space, was quickest to react inside the box and the record signing lifted the ball over David Raya with a powerful finish.

It was Isak's 50th goal for Newcastle. To put that return into context, since Isak's debut for the club, in August, 2022, only Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah have scored more goals in all competitions among Premier League players.

Anthony Gordon channels Thierry Henry as Emirates silenced

April. That was the last time Arsenal had lost at the Emirates. To say the stadium has been a fortress for Arsenal would be an understatement yet Newcastle ended up planting another black-and-white flag in North London - just days after winning at Spurs.

It was one thing going into half-time 1-0 up, but Newcastle did what so few sides have at the Emirates by landing a second blow just a few minutes into the second half. There were 51 minutes on the clock when Jacob Murphy drilled the ball across to Isak who took a touch inside the box and attracted three red shirts to him before getting a rasping shot away that David Raya could only parry. Anthony Gordon gambled and got there first ahead of Jurrien Timber to tap home and send the 6,000 Geordies behind the goal wild. Arsenal supporters, in contrast, were silenced as they watched Gordon even cheekily dig out Thierry Henry's iconic corner flag celebration.

How Arsenal lacked Newcastle's composure. The Gunners were anything but clinical. Gabriel Martinelli rattled the post in the first half after being played through; Kai Havertz somehow shouldered the ball wide after getting his jump all wrong before the hour mark; William Saliba headed over from Declan Rice's corner kick a few minutes later; and Jorginho fired over late on.

You can see why Geordies repeatedly sang about 'not wanting to go home'. It is only half-time in this semi-final, but they are just 90 minutes away from reaching a second Wembley final in three seasons.

The hoodoo is over

Eddie Howe 'guaranteed' that Newcastle would give everything on Tuesday night and players and staff needed no reminding of what was at stake. As Sandro Tonali put it: "It's a dream for the fans after 70 years [without a trophy] and we also dream."

Nothing was decided on Tuesday night, but Newcastle have done so much more than merely keep this tie alive. They have taken another huge step forward ahead of the return leg next month.

Ending the club's crippling trophy drought is clearly a prospect that has inspired the players rather than weighing them down, particularly given the form they are in. Although Newcastle had a dreadful record at the Emirates - previously winning just once there back in 2010 - the Magpies travelled to the capital with belief rather than fear. Newcastle, after all, were fresh from beating Spurs and Manchester United on their own turf during a six-game winning streak; Howe's team were the last English side to defeat Arsenal; and only league leaders Liverpool have had a better big-game record than the Magpies in the top-flight this season.

No wonder Newcastle did not show Arsenal undue respect in the opening hour. The visitors were not afraid to press high - at one point Sandro Tonali hunted down Myles Lewis-Skelly inside his own box the second David Raya played a goal kick to him - and Anthony Gordon even left something on Leandro Trossard when tracking back and tackling the Arsenal forward before half-time.

Newcastle then showed the other side of their game midway through the second half. Following an intense run of games, Howe turned to his bench and made a triple substitution, throwing on Lloyd Kelly, Sean Longstaff and Harvey Barnes, and shifting to a back five. By the time Miguel Almiron entered the fray, in the 76th minute, Newcastle had gone to a 5-5-0, but the visitors held out to win a seventh successive game.

Strong and resolute, all right

Strong and resolute. Those were the words Eddie Howe used when the Newcastle boss talked about what he wanted his side to be against Arsenal. No wonder opposite number Mikel Arteta was preparing himself for 'two long games against a very competitive team'.

Arteta needed no reminding of that. Newcastle limited Arsenal to a solitary shot on target when the sides last met in November and it was just a couple of years ago that the Magpies ruffled feathers during a feisty goalless draw at the Emirates. Howe squared up to Arteta on the touchline that night and the Newcastle boss again vowed that players and staff would 'stand up for each other' in North London.

Newcastle had to stand tall on Tuesday night - and not just from the open play. Arsenal, after all, have scored more goals (11) from set-pieces than any other side in the Premier League this season.

Newcastle certainly dug in at the Emirates on a night Arsenal won a whopping 11 corners. Dan Burn made a huge block to deny William Saliba in the ninth minute. Joe Willock got across quickly to get in the way of Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice's shots. Sven Botman blocked Kai Havertz's effort inside the box. Joelinton made a sliding block to keep out Jorginho midway through the second half. Sandro Tonali raced to get back to cut out Declan Rice's cross in the 68th minute.

When wasteful Arsenal managed to get a shot on target, Martin Dubravka was quick off his line to deny Gabriel Magalhaes just before half-time after Declan Rice nodded the ball down.

Newcastle *can* win without Bruno Guimaraes

The mournful photograph Bruno Guimaraes posted of his locker at an otherwise empty training ground on Tuesday morning told its own story. Eddie Howe called Bruno a 'pivotal figure'. Not only because of what Bruno does in possession - the Brazil international has been directly involved in five goals in his last seven games - but also because of his mentality. There is a reason why Bruno has won more ground duels than any other player in the Premier League this season. There is a reason why the midfielder has not missed a single game for Newcastle in the last 14 months.

It is perhaps telling that Newcastle have never won a top-flight match without Bruno since the midfielder joined the club three years ago. That's how influential Bruno has been. However, Newcastle found a way to win without their talisman on Tuesday night with the tireless Sandro Tonali, Joelinton and the returning Joe Willock putting in an incredible amount of work without the ball in the middle of the park.