By Ollie Irish

Perhaps surprisingly, it was Chris Hughton’s Newcastle who fielded a weaker team even than Arsenal, although neither starting XI was exactly what you’d see these clubs put out in the Premier League. But there is a feeling that Arsene Wenger is taking the League Cup a bit more seriously than he has done for several seasons, and his team selection confirmed that. Arsenal’s lack of silverware in recent years is well-documented, and Wenger knows that any trophy is better than another fruitless campaign.

Major pluses for Arsenal were two goals for Theo Walcott, a confident 84 minutes from Nicklas Bendtner (he scored for the second game in a row), and the impressive form of young Polish keeper Wojciech Szczęsny. Only 20, Szczęsny looks a hell of a prospect – which is a great shame, as spelling his name correctly is a fricking nightmare.

For Newcastle, a heavy defeat at home will inevitably pile yet more pressure on manager Chris Hughton, which is a shame as I think he’s doing a fine job with limited resources.

Match photos (click thumbs to enlarge):

Photos: PA

Extended highlights (spot the comedy goal):

Newcastle United v Arsenal
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