Gary Neville delivers brutal Gabriel and William Saliba dig after Alexander Isak display

Arsenal defenders Gabriel and William Saliba had a torrid clip up against Alexander Isak arsenic the Gunners fell abbreviated against Newcastle successful their Carabao Cup semi-final

It was a pugnacious evening for Arsenal's centre-backs arsenic the Gunners mislaid to Newcastle successful the Carabao Cup and pundit Gary Neville has taken purpose astatine Gabriel and William Saliba.

Mikel Arteta's squad went to St James' Park connected Wednesday looking to overturn a 2-0 shortage against Newcastle to scope the final. Sunday's 5-1 victory implicit Manchester City mightiness person fixed Mikel Arteta's men hope, but they ended up falling to different two-goal defeat.

Arsenal's centre-backs person been important some past play and this, but they didn't person things each their ain mode successful the north-east. Alexander Isak stole the amusement successful the archetypal leg, and the Swede saw a extremity disallowed successful the instrumentality fixture earlier team-mates Jacob Murphy and Anthony Gordon gave Newcastle victory.

Isak has had the measurement of the Arsenal back-line this term, scoring the winner erstwhile the teams met successful the league earlier the crook of the year. This didn't spell unnoticed by Neville - connected commentary duties for the cupful necktie - who was erstwhile again impressed by the erstwhile Real Sociedad star.

Isak played a portion successful the opener, firing against the station and watching Murphy tuck location the rebound, and his show didn't spell unnoticed. "It’s each astir Isak," Neville said. "He is messing the Arsenal centre backs about.

"Look astatine him against Saliba, helium (Saliba) thinks helium has got successful beforehand and helium pops it circular the corner. What a onslaught it is, and a portion of bully luck due to the fact that the walk isn’t into him and it past falls to Murphy. But helium has Gabriel and Saliba connected toast."

Later, Neville pointed to the struggles endured by the usually-accomplished Saliba. "I person ne'er seen Saliba truthful ruffled ever. Gordon and Isak are successful his head," helium added.

Does Alexander Isak person Arsenal's number? Have your accidental successful the comments section

Neville's chap pundit Jamie Redknapp was likewise impressed. “I person ne'er seen Gabriel and Saliba truthful uncomfortable and that is due to the fact that of the prime of Alexander Isak," the erstwhile Liverpool prima said. "They usually bully teams but they couldn't grip Newcastle's beforehand three.”

Newcastle's 4-0 aggregate triumph was capable for them to scope the final, wherever either Liverpool oregon Tottenham volition beryllium their opponents. Eddie Howe's broadside were incapable to flooded Manchester United successful the 2023 final, but their manager believes they are present better-equipped to extremity a agelong hold for silverware.

"We person travel a agelong mode since [the 2023 final] - the Champions League does that to you, it is truthful investigating and unique," Howe told BBC Radio 5 Live. "Naturally for the large games a batch of the players person been determination before, and we are utilized to the speedy turnarounds and enactment smarter.

"There is simply a bully feeling astir the squad. We are choky connected numbers but large connected energy. I would emotion to deliberation we tin spell to Wembley and execute amended than we did previously."

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