Another KO for punch-drunk Newcastle
Toothless Toon can’t lay glove on Gunners ARSENAL 2 NEWCASTLE 0
NEWCASTLE United under Steve Bruce are like a boxer with a decent chin but no punch. Throw what you want at them and they will resist long enough to stay i n the contest.
But when it comes to landing a blow of their own, they will take aim for your face and hit your cornerman.
They have scored one goal in eight hours of play and are without a win in seven matches.
Yet still Bruce emerged at the Emirates Stadium to talk of ‘progress’. In the context of what has gone before, he was arguably right. But it is a low bar for improvement. They played okay against Arsenal. They soaked up s o me early pressure — they always do — and could
have won the tie inside 90 minutes with better finishing.
But therein lies the problem that threatens to drag them towards the bottom three in the Premier League. Tomorrow’s trip to Sheffield United, who are still without a victory in the league this season, is of far greater i mportance i n that regard.
Bruce made mention of the Gunners being below Newcastle in the table before Christmas, but these sides are heading in very different directions now.
The holders advanced here thanks to extra-time goals from Emile Smith Rowe, who had a red card overturned after VAR intervened, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
But it was Scots star Kieran Tierney and Bukayo Saka who again provided the spark after Arsenal, at times, looked back to their stodgy pre - Christmas worst.
Finding a way to win games is a fine quality, though, and there has been enough evidence lately to suggest Arteta has identified those who can make a difference when deployed correctly.
By contrast, Bruce is 18 months into his job and still talks of ‘getting the team further up the pitch’ and ‘passing the ball a bit better’.
In truth, they are nothing more than that battered boxer who stays on his feet and shades the odd bout on points.
The club has not beaten a Premier League opponent since 2012 in this competition.
For when it comes to the cups, it’s invariably a knockout for Newcastle.