NEWCASTLE, England -- The "never" men beat the "nearly" men. Newcastle United now stand a Carabao Cup final away from ending their interminable 56-year-old wait for a major trophy while questions grow about Arsenal's ability to cap their progress with silverware.
There was an irresistible determination about Newcastle from the outset on Wednesday. Buoyed by a 2-0 lead from the first leg, St James' Park filled to bursting point under the lights with supporters desperate to free themselves from the burden of almost six decades in darkness.
Alexander Isak tormented the normally unflappable centre-back pairing of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães.