Striking misses left Carroll to reflect on a disappointing day
ANDY Carroll could only look and wonder what might have been after being subbed at the Emirates Stadium.
The Geordie centre-forward has waited for his chance from the start and his big moment came in the capital at the end of normal time - when the type of opportunity which strikers dream of fell his way.
After Jacob Murphy had cut the ball across for Elliot Anderson, the ball squirmed into Carroll’s path but, despite getting a relatively clean strike on the ball on his favoured foot, Germany international Bernd Leno managed to make a timely block.
Carroll had earlier sent one wide from an onside position which would have stood had he converted despite the linesman’s flag going up as it would have gone to VAR.
However, those are the moments which win or lose matches, and for Newcastle the game boiled down to those misses.
That said, the moment Carroll left the field United’s FA Cup dreams appeared to go with him.
For the moment Newcastle lost the big striker, their threat of scoring disappeared.
Gateshead-born Carroll had nine of Newcastle’s efforts at goal in his 105 minutes on the field.
However, once he had been subbed, and despite having attacking threats Dwight Gayle, Murphy and Anderson on the field, United did not conjure up a single attempt once the former West Ham man had taken his seat on the bench.
Whether Carroll has enough in the tank to face Sheffield United so soon after his long run out at Arsenal remains to be seen.
However, the Magpies have looked a more threatening side with the 31-year-old in it in the last two games and boss Steve Bruce has a big decision when it comes to who starts with Callum Wilson.
NEWCASTLE’S cup record has improved under Steve Bruce in the last 18 months - of that, and for all those who dislike him, there can be no doubt.
Two quarter-finals in the League Cup and the FA Cup underline the fact Bruce has at least had a go in the knockout competitions and, despite defeat at Arsenal, he fielded a very strong team.
Yet Newcastle’s big problem has been stagefright on the big occasion - in the FA Cup especially.
They have now lost 11 games against Premier League clubs in their last 12.
You would have to go all the way back to the Graeme Souness era to find that victory in a 3-0 triumph at Southampton in 2004 - only to lose to Liverpool in the next round.
Only when you dig deeper into the stats you see why it really is 67 years of hurt when it comes to Newcastle’s quest for a domestic honour.
DESPITE Newcastle’s poor record at the 2006-built Emirates Stadium, it is usually a canny old away day for the Geordies at Arsenal and the sometimes reserved home fans make it feel like a home game in some ways as the full repertoire of Toon chants receive an airing, no matter what the scoreline is.
As the pandemic goes on, the usually bustling King’s Cross station was almost silent as trains from the North-East pulled in to London on Saturday afternoon.
It is normally packed with United fans for games like this, and their anthems belt out around the place, but just a handful of business people could be seen boarding the limited train services.
The Gunners are doing their best to make their guests feel comfortable and the sight of a Newcastle banner in the away end was laid on by the home club.
Fans will hope one day they will be able to get back to supporting United up and down the land but as the flag flapped in the chilly January breeze the absence of Geordie fans at games again felt apparent.
Had Carroll found the net and fans been there to witness it would have been talked about for years, but these are very different times.