Arsenal crashed out of the Carabao Cup with a 4-0 aggregate defeat to Newcastle United, ending their chances of attaining a piece of silverware that has eluded them for so long.
The Gunners haven’t won the competition since 1993, and are without a trophy of any kind since winning the FA Cup in 2020.
Goals from Jacob Murphy and Anthony Gordon confirmed Arsenal’s exit, as Newcastle ran out 2-0 winners on a painful night for Mikel Arteta’s team.
The Spaniard is inevitably facing some criticism for his poor recent record in cup competitions, with talkSPORT’s Gabby Agbonlahor voicing his thoughts on the divisive tactician.
Gabby Agbonlahor compares Mikel Arteta to Gareth Southgate after Arsenal defeat v Newcastle
Arsenal lost Gabriel Martinelli to injury at St James’ Park, compounding what was a miserable night in the north-east.
The Gunners were let down by some poor individual errors at the back, while they looked blunt in attack after a promising opening half an hour.
Arteta will be frustrated with his team’s display, although will acknowledge that the damage was done in a wasteful first leg.
Writing on X, former Aston Villa striker and now pundit Agbonlahor issued a bizarre comparison for Arteta.
The talkSPORT host posted: “Mikel Southgate, that the tweet!”
The ex-Premier League star was evidently suggesting that Arteta and former England manager Gareth Southgate share a key similarity in their inability to get their team over the line in regard to attaining honours.
While this may not appear to be a definitive critique at first glance, Agbonlahor’s previous comments on Southgate suggest he doesn’t view the comparison as a compliment.
The outspoken radio star described Southgate’s England side as playing ‘woeful’ football over the summer.
Arteta’s football has been criticised at times, although the effectiveness of it in terms of garnering results cannot be questioned.
Mikel Arteta’s managerial statistics vs Gareth Southgate
It was a dire night for the Arsenal boss on Tyneside, as Newcastle fans taunted Arteta late in the game.
While the former Manchester City assistant is yet to deliver a Premier League or Champions League triumph to the Emirates, he’s taken Arsenal from the pits of despair to the brink of major honours.
| Arteta vs Southgate Managerial Record Comparison | ||
| Stat | Arteta | Southgate |
| Matches Managed | 270 | 290 |
| Wins | 160 | 127 |
| Draws | 48 | 71 |
| Losses | 62 | 92 |
| Win Percentage | 59.3% | 43.8% |
These achievements shouldn’t be overlooked, and any comparisons to Southgate and the Englishman’s limited tactical acumen are disrespectful.
Southgate’s deficiencies would be exposed at club level, while Arteta is one of the master tactician’s in the game, and has arguably over-performed based on the talent level available to him.
Arsenal’s leader just needs a major piece of silverware to get the recognition that he deserves.
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