Newcastle United gleefully took aim at Arsenal on social media after the Magpies' Carabao Cup semi-final victory on Wednesday.
After January's first leg, which ended in a 2-0 victory for Newcastle, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta blamed the match ball used in the competition for his side's finishing woes, sparking plenty of jibes from fans watching the second leg.
Arsenal failed to score again in Wednesday's game while Newcastle added another two goals, and the club's social media account opted to join in the barbs sent Arsenal's way by posting a picture of the ball alongside the caption: "The culprit."
That was only the start of things as goalscorer Anthony Gordon, perhaps inadvertently, injected himself into the recent battle between Arsenal and Manchester City over the word "humble".
City striker Erling Haaland urged Arsenal to "stay humble" after the two sides drew in September. Those comments were followed by a drastic downturn in form from City, which Arsenal fans were only too eager to remind him about, and the Gunners' recent 5-1 win saw Myles Lewis-Skelly copy Haaland's goal celebration before Kendrick Lamar's Humble was played over the speakers to celebrate the victory.
The culprit: pic.twitter.com/nmPO1nym1z
Newcastle United (@NUFC) February 5, 2025
Having seen Arsenal come crashing back down to earth, Gordon warned his Newcastle teammates that they must now retain their own humility. While it is not clear whether he was intentionally poking fun at Arsenal, there's no denying the impact his comments have made given the timing.
"Our fans are never in question, they make it so difficult for the opposition and we did it the right way," Gordon said after the game. "We had a game plan we thought would work. Everyone knows we press.
"It is important for us to stay humble now. [The final] will be a big occasion but it's so far away."
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