- Howe showed his ability to adapt during Newcastle’s semi-final win over Arsenal
- The Newcastle boss tweaked his tactics in both legs to impressive effect
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Newcastle’s triumph over Arsenal was a semi-final won across two of the proudest nights of Eddie Howe’s managerial career. A double bill against Mikel Arteta and Howe produced two tactical masterclasses.
We live in an age where the likes of Ruben Amorim and Ange Postecoglou tell us they can’t change their tactics because they must remain true to their philosophies but Howe proved the best managers adapt and can morph into different shapes and styles to get the job done – even when missing their best players.
Newcastle had never won a game without Bruno Guimaraes in the side since his debut three years ago but went to the Emirates Stadium in the first leg without him to face a team that was unbeaten in 13 games and inflicted upon them their only home defeat of the season.
Howe brought Joe Willock into the side to replace the suspended Guimaraes and he had the pace to bomb forward from deep with Anthony Gordon and Jacob Murphy as they attacked like a runaway train whenever Alexander Isak dropped in to collect the ball and pressed them really high.
Arsenal couldn’t deal with it. Gabriel and William Saliba, the two centre-backs, were made to look uncomfortable and didn’t want to go tight on Isak because they know he’s one of the few players who can embarrass you with his pace and the rest of the back four could not cope with the onslaught of runs from deep.
Howe makes the key decision on 65 minutes in the opening game to take off the trio of Willock, Murphy and Isak, with Newcastle two goals up, and dropped into a back five. Howe signalled from the bench for his team to go to two banks of five with no one up front.
Eddie Howe produced tactical masterclasses as Newcastle beat Arsenal in the Carabao Cup
Howe’s use of Joe Willock in the semi-final first leg created problems for Arsenal’s defence
He switched to a back five when taking Alexander Isak off and adopted it for the second leg
Arsenal could not find a way through and it gave Howe the belief, with his side two goals up, that he could adapt this system for the second leg.
This formation gave them the added bonus of extra height of centre-backs Fabian Schar, Sven Botman and Dan Burn to help deal with Arsenal’s set-pieces but Howe also gave special instructions to Schar to push on to Declan Rice whenever the Gunners tried to build from the back.
Newcastle gave Arsenal no chance to breathe as they went man-to-man in their press.
Gordon tucked in and sat on Saliba with Isak on Gabriel as Guimaraes was tasked with man-marking Thomas Partey. Sandro Tonali picked up Martin Odegaard so Schar pushed up all the way from the halfway line to the edge of the box to make sure Rice, Arsenal’s extra man in midfield, was not free to pick up the ball.
If Arsenal inverted their full-backs, Jurien Timber and Myles Lewis-Skelly, then Newcastle winger Jacob Murphy on the right and wing-back Lewis Hall on the left tucked in centrally to deal with the danger.
Early in the game, Rice received a pass from his keeper only for Schar to pounce on him. Gordon was ready for it and almost picked up the loose ball before Rice regained his composure to clear the danger.
Arsenal didn’t learn their lesson and Newcastle punished them in exactly the same way for the second goal at the start of the second.
They couldn’t find a way out. Even when the frustrated Odegaard dropped deep himself to try to build the attacks, he too found himself marked by Tonali.
Fabian Schar and Sven Botman were part of a five man defence Arsenal struggled to break down
Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes played key roles in the heart of Newcastle’s midfield
Howe only starting working on the system from Monday but that’s not unusual these days. The experience of playing in the Champions League would have made it easier for his team to develop a plan for high-level opposition in different competitions in just a few days.
There was total unity in their performance. The manager’s plan worked perfectly, the players executed it beautifully and the fans played their part creating the hostility needed to make Arsenal feel even more uncomfortable.
When they meet Liverpool in the final, Howe will need to find the right tactical plan again — and the players need to find the energy and desire — to demolish their opponents as they did to Arsenal and win their first domestic trophy in 70 years.
