Botman starts in new formation - Confirmed Newcastle and Arsenal line ups

The team sheets are in at St James' Park, where Newcastle United take on Arsenal in tonight's Carabao Cup semi-final second leg.

We're 2-0 up and in control of the tie, but we have 90 minutes to get the job done and book our place at Wembley, where we'd face Spurs or Liverpool on Sunday 16th March should we progress.

Here's the teams Eddie Howe and Mikel Arteta have gone with for the 8pm kick-off:

Team news

Starting XI: (5-2-3) Dubravka - Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn, Hall - Bruno, Tonali - Murphy, Isak, Gordon.

Subs: Pope, Wilson, Targett, Krafth, Osula, Livramento, Willock, Longstaff, Miley.

Joelinton misses out, Callum Wilson is back in the squad and Sven Botman returns along with Kieran Trippier, who comes in for Tino Livramento.

This has seen Howe switch to a back five; perhaps adding height in Joelinton’s absence to help cope with their set piece threat?

Arsenal XI: Raya - Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly - Partey, Rice - Martinelli, Odegaard, Trossard - Havertz.

Newcastle MUST get balance right

Arguably the biggest challenge for Howe and the players tonight is getting our approach right while two goals up.

A 2-0 advantage at this stage of the tie is brilliant, but tricky to navigate. We MUST resist the temptation to sit deep early and protect what we have. Doing that allows Arsenal to settle, giving them confidence and raising the tension at St James' Park.

We have to get the balance right. Over committing in attack to kill it off would be naive - Howe would get criticism if that gave Arsenal space to score at the other end - but we have to put pressure on their defence and can't stand off them.

For all the talk of nerves and a disastrous start if Arsenal score first, we'd be close to killing them off if we open the scoring.

Let's get into them from the off and raise the roof. Howay the lads!