Howe urges Newcastle to maintain form against Arsenal in Cup clash

Bengaluru — Newcastle United must make the most of their strong form when they take on Arsenal in the League Cup semifinals, coach Eddie Howe said on Monday as he urged his team not to be complacent.

Newcastle have won their past six games across all competitions, including impressive victories over Aston Villa, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.

“This is an important game for us. We need to be at our absolute best, a high-level game. There is a lot at stake for us,” Howe told reporters ahead of the first leg trip to Arsenal on Tuesday.

“We’ve got to be really good off the ball and solid defensively. We’ve got to cause Arsenal problems the other way.

“I don’t think we should overthink it, we just need to get that mix right. Let’s try and continue the good performances we’ve given recently and try and win the game.”

The English manager hailed striker Alexander Isak, who scored for a seventh successive Premier League game in their 2-1 win over Spurs, but said the Swede’s goalscoring run was down to the team’s collective effort.

“Alex will naturally [feel like scoring], when you are on the run of goalscoring games that he is,” Howe said.

“The team is creating for him, the team is playing in a really good way for Alex and others. Alex is playing his part in that by finishing them off but the team is playing great and creating the chances for him.”

Newcastle have also received a boost in defence with Sven Botman returning to the team against Spurs after undergoing anterior cruciate ligament surgery in March.

Asked if Botman would also start against Arsenal, Howe said: “We have to speak to the player, the medical team, the experts. They’ll give me some of the answers to what we do with him next.

“Sven is a competitor. He is hugely driven for the team and himself. He wants to do really well in his career so I’ve got no doubts what he will say, but we need to, as I said, speak to other people and try to come up with the right decision.

“He feels good, naturally a bit of fatigue at the end. He has trained for a long, long time for this moment. It is not like he has been rushed back. Straight into action, he did very well.”

Reuters