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After Manchester United completed a penalty shootout victory at the Emirates, the majority assumed that Arsenal had been dumped out of both domestic cups in the space of a few days.
The Gunners' FA Cup defeat to the Red Devils arrived in the aftermath of a 2-0 home loss to Newcastle in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final. It was a bleak period for Mikel Arteta's side, one which distinctly depicted the need for the club to upgrade in attacking areas given the number of chances multiple culprits squandered.
Reinforcements did not arrive in the recently closed winter window, yet there's a sense of optimism regarding Arsenal's chances of turning around a two-goal deficit at St. James' Park.
A 5-1 beatdown of the champions at the weekend means Wednesday's visitors, who have found their scoring groove in recent outings, have a bucketload of momentum behind them. They're also facing a Newcastle team that is no longer performing at the level they were entering the first leg. Eddie Howe's side have lost back-to-back home games and are showing signs of fatigue.
The task remains mountainous, but far from impossible. Here are three keys to Arsenal completing a staggering comeback and reaching the Carabao Cup final on Wednesday.
1. Score early
The Toon Army may have endured a couple of defeats in recent weeks, but St. James' will be rocking under the lights with a Wembley final at stake.
Arsenal have suffered in Newcastle on their two most recent visits and haven't scored a goal on this ground since May 2023. They need to score at least two on Wednesday.
Taming a fervent atmosphere will be pivotal for Arteta's men, and thrusting their collective state from jovial to tense could decide the tie. If they're able to score an early goal, the Newcastle fans, who've just seen Bournemouth and Fulham win on Tyneside, will begin to fear the worst.
The timing of Arsenal's opener isn't too significant (as long as it doesn't arrive too late!), but a strike in the opening 15 minutes would be ideal. The Gunners will then feel the tie is there for the taking.
Just eight of their 77 goals in all competitions this season have arrived in the first 15 minutes, and they're yet to do so in this competition. Can they buck that trend on Wednesday?
2. Contain Alexander Isak
If Arsenal are to become the first team since 1994 to overcome a two-goal first leg deficit in the League Cup semi-finals to advance, they surely can't let Newcastle get on the scoresheet.
The Magpies were mightily efficient at the Emirates a month ago, making the most of limited moments. Crucial to their victory was the performance of long-standing Arsenal transfer target Alexander Isak. The super Swedish striker opportunistically opened the scoring before playing a key role in the Magpies' second.
Isak toyed with the Gunners' stellar centre-back pairing that night, with both William Saliba and Gabriel struggling to track his withdrawals into deeper positions to facilitate counter-attacks. Newcastle are such a threat given Isak's multi-faceted ability and the runners ahead of him.
Arsenal's defenders must set the tone. They've got to be aggressive against Isak and refuse to let him dictate the flow of the Magpies' forays forward. The hosts will aim to make the most of mere moments again, and Arsenal can't be caught cold. A goal for Eddie Howe's side likely kills the tie.
3. Give it to the kid
Arsenal created a hatful of chances in the first leg and somehow failed to trouble the scorers. Playmaking wasn't the major issue that night, although the Gunners did start to run out of ideas once Howe dropped the anchor.
Howe's going to preserve his two-goal lead from the outset. Expect his wingers to drop back to support their respective full-backs and his midfield engine room to fly about in a bid to cause the utmost disruption in central areas.
Arsenal are comfortable attacking from wide positions - that's what Arteta wants - but they can't be predictable in their methods of chance creation. We can't be seeing 42 crosses against a backline consisting of man mountains - as was the case in the first leg.
The visitors must function as locksmiths against what's poised to be a deep and compact Newcastle block. Bukayo Saka is so often the man Arsenal turn to on such occasions, with Martin Odegaard the next man up. But with Saka out and Odegaard off-colour, it's time for Arteta and the Gunners to trust their teenage starlet to lead the way.
Ethan Nwaneri didn't feature in the first leg, and he could be the difference on Wednesday. Start him wide right and let him work his youthful magic. Not only can he pick locks through subtle playmaking, but he's capable of compromising the Magpies' block via pinpoint ball-striking with his preferred left foot. He's such a threat, and if Arsenal do resort to crosses as a means of penetration, Nwaneri showed in the 3-1 win at Brentford just how destructive he can be when whipping balls into the box.