Arsenal 'looked a little flat'
Arsenal looked "flat" in their Carabao Cup semi-final defeat by Newcastle, says former Gunners centre-back Matt Upson.
Mikel Arteta's side succumbed to a 4-0 aggregate defeat at St James' Park after losing 2-0 on Wednesday night.
"We thought that the atmosphere would play a part in this game and it did. Newcastle took the game to Arsenal, they smothered them, kept the tempo high and didn't allow them to do anything," Upson told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"Arsenal were not at their best. Whether the occasion against Man City at the weekend played into it or whatever it was, the team looked a little flat and a couple of players were out of sorts."
Since winning the FA Cup in 2020, Arsenal have not won a trophy or reached a final, losing three semi-finals - two in the EFL Cup and one in the Europa League.
Their attention will now turn back to the Premier League, where they currently sit second to leaders Liverpool.
Ex-Newcastle winger Chris Waddle added: "Arsenal are out of the FA Cup and out of the League Cup, they can focus now on chasing down Liverpool, who are still in everything, and the Champions League.
"They will not be happy with their performance over the two legs, particularly tonight. However it could help them chase down Liverpool."
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