NEWCASTLE, England -- The "never" men beat the "nearly" men. Newcastle United now stand a Carabao Cup final away from ending their interminable 56-year-old wait for a major trophy while questions grow about Arsenal's ability to cap their progress with silverware.

There was an irresistible determination about Newcastle from the outset on Wednesday. Buoyed by a 2-0 lead from the first leg, St James' Park filled to bursting point under the lights with supporters desperate to free themselves from the burden of almost six decades in darkness.

Alexander Isak tormented the normally unflappable centre-back pairing of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães. Newcastle switched systems, defended in numbers, and looked lethal on the break.

The combination overwhelmed Arsenal, as Newcastle swept them aside with goals from Jacob Murphy and Anthony Gordon to win 2-0. This sets up a Wembley showpiece against either Liverpool or Tottenham when the chance to win the trophy that eluded them in the 2023 final against Manchester United will again be within their grasp.

The Gunners started the season eyeing bigger prizes but getting this close to success only to be denied yet again adds to the body of evidence against them being capable of getting over the line.

Twice they have pushed Manchester City all the way in the Premier League and twice they were denied. Mikel Arteta won the 2020 FA Cup in his first season with the club but such has been the dramatic overhaul during his time in charge that only one player from the starting lineup that day -- Kieran Tierney -- is even still at the club.

This current group have become proper Premier League heavyweights and they may still win the title or even the UEFA Champions League. But the sense they are missing something -- even with a full list of players once Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus return from injury -- only grows on nights like this.

The club's decision not to sign a striker in January was a judgment call: The right player either wasn't available or too expensive. Sources told ESPN that they made a bid for Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins of around 40 million when the asking price was 60m.

They decided not to return with another offer and with longer-term targets including Benjamin Šeško at RB Leipzig and -- whisper it quietly -- Newcastle's Isak unavailable, they decided to go with what they have. That is a judgement call that will ultimately define their season. Watching Isak torment Arsenal's backline here was a painful reminder of what they are missing.

Just days after Gabriel and Saliba marshalled Erling Haaland -- who admittedly still scored -- to great effect in a 5-1 thrashing of Manchester City, the pair looked incapable of handling Isak's mixture of intelligent running and technical quality.

The high line had something to do with it. Arsenal felt they had to make the running given the first-leg deficit and Newcastle knew it, changing to a 5-4-1 shape without the ball for the first time this season to invite the visitors onto them and hit on the break.

It was broadly the same game plan with a different system which earned them two 1-0 wins over Arsenal in their last two league visits here and, yet again, invites scrutiny over whether the Gunners are just a touch short of match-winning class in the final third. An injury to Gabriel Martinelli will only exacerbate those concerns as Arteta confirmed afterwards the Brazilian will undergo a scan on his hamstring on Thursday.

Arteta would point to August's Community Shield triumph to counter accusations of a lack of silverware and they can of course recover from this, starting with a warm-weather training break in Dubai which will feel a lifetime away from the February northeast chill.

"We need to swallow this one, it is a tough one," said Arteta.

"We had a lot of expectations. We knew the difficulty of the task because of the result we brought from London. but there is nothing we can do right now. What we could do was on the pitch a few minutes ago, now we have to look forward.

"First of all, I think this is going to be a painful one. While we are in Dubai, recharge and go again because we still have a lot to play [for]."

But this was nevertheless a chastening night. The rivalry between these two sides has escalated in recent seasons and evidence of that could be seen in the ferocity of the contest, while it lasted anyway.

Isak had the ball in the net after four minutes with a sumptuous finish ruled out by a tight VAR call for offside. The tie turned in the space of a minute or so as at one end, Martin Ødegaard hit the post when he probably should have scored, and then at the other, Isak raced clear. His sublime left-foot effort hit the post but Murphy found enough stretch within his frame to steer the rebound in via a flick off the opposite post.

Gordon put Newcastle 4-0 up on aggregate after Arsenal made a mess of playing out from the back, with goalkeeper David Raya under-hitting a ball to Declan Rice which Fabian Schär intercepted for Gordon to finish smartly.

Then the party started. "Mikel Arteta, it must be the ball," sang the gleeful Newcastle fans, in reference to Arteta volunteering the different football used in this competition as a possible reason why Arsenal's finishing let them down in the first leg four weeks ago.

But no quirk explains the outcome here. Newcastle fully deserved to advance for another crack at glory, summed up the stadium announcer greeting the final whistle with the words: "Book your trains, book your hotels, we're ga'an to Wembley."

Newcastle's path to silverware is clear. Not for the first time, Arsenal's looks complicated.

Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett spoke publicly Wednesday for the first time since announcing a trade request Monday, telling the "Rich Eisen Show" that he and the organization are not aligned on the team's future.

"It's not a decision I take lightly," said Garrett, speaking on Radio Row in New Orleans. "It took time and lots of conversation. Just looking at the trajectory of the team, talking to some of the higher-ups, I have a lot of respect for them, but I just don't think we're aligned on where the team is going in the near future."

Garrett, the NFL's reigning Defensive Player of the Year, on Monday released a statement announcing his desire to be traded from the Browns, who drafted him with the No. 1 pick in 2017.

Garrett, who has made the playoffs only twice in eight years, made comments during the season that he wanted to know the team's offseason plans before further committing to the organization. The 29-year-old has two years remaining on the record-breaking five-year, $125 million extension he signed in 2020 but has no more guaranteed salary.

The Browns' 3-14 finish was their worst since going 0-16 in 2017, Garrett's rookie year. Cleveland holds the second pick in the 2025 NFL draft.

"I just felt it was time," Garrett said. "I had taken my time after the season, kind of relaxed and decompressed emotionally. Wanted to distance myself a little bit and spent a little time talking to my family about how we feel about this decision."

Garrett said he also consulted with Lakers star and Akron native LeBron James, who twice left the Cleveland Cavaliers, about "what a transition looked like for him, what was his thought process going into it before he left Cleveland."

A six-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro, Garrett reiterated his desire to go to a contender but acknowledged "I don't have much say in where I go." Garrett's contract does not include a no-trade clause.

Twice in the past month, Browns general manager Andrew Berry told reporters he had no intention of trading Garrett. And in the aftermath of Garrett's trade request, multiple team sources told ESPN that nothing had changed within the organization.

"It's never been about the Hall of Fame for me," Garrett said. "It's not about money or records. You're remembered for winning."

Brian Kelly on Wednesday disputed comments made by the father of former LSU safety Greg Brooks Jr., who alleged the Tigers coach abandoned the player after he had surgery to remove a brain tumor in September 2023.

In an interview on "Good Morning America" on Monday, Greg Brooks Sr. said his family hadn't heard from Kelly or anyone on LSU's coaching staff since shortly after the surgery.

"There's many things I can't say because it is pending litigation, but here's what I can tell you: It is factually incorrect to state that I was not there by Greg's side through this ordeal on multiple occasions," Kelly said during a news conference Wednesday. "I had somebody from my staff that was there virtually every single day.

"We love Greg, we love him for the person that he is, for the competitor that he is and the battler that he is. We only wish him continued progress as he goes through an [incredibly] difficult time."

In a lawsuit filed in August against LSU and Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Brooks Jr. accused the Tigers coaching staff of encouraging him to practice after he showed symptoms in practice that something was wrong. He alleged that team athletic trainers misdiagnosed his condition for weeks and waited too long to send him to a neurological specialist.

Brooks Jr., a team captain who transferred to LSU from Arkansas, played in two games in 2023 before doctors discovered the brain tumor.

The complaint alleges that the surgeon who removed the tumor wasn't qualified to perform the procedure and caused "catastrophic neurological injuries" that left Brooks Jr. permanently disabled. The lawsuit says Brooks Jr. suffered multiple strokes during surgery.

More than a year after the surgery, Brooks Jr., 23, can't walk and uses a wheelchair. He had to learn how to write and speak again through rehabilitation.

Doctors told Brooks Jr. that he is cancer-free after undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments, according to "Good Morning America." During the interview, Brooks' father said he hadn't heard from LSU coaches during his son's recovery.

"Specifically, Brian Kelly," Brooks Sr. said. "My son almost lost his life. Coach, where were you? Forget about football. Pick up the phone and say you love the kid, man."

Kelly denied the accusation Wednesday.

"You can question me as a football coach, you can question me with things we do on the field but off the field, as a parent, a husband, as someone who is actively involved in every community that I've been involved with, this is where I draw the line for me," Kelly said. "That comment struck a nerve with me. It hit my heart. I'm in this business for our players, and it rattled me that somebody could possibly be so factually incorrect in stating that I was not a part of Greg Brooks Jr.'s care and support. The support was the entire university and entire community. I needed to make sure that record was clear."

Ohio State is set to promote Brian Hartline as its primary offensive coordinator, replacing Chip Kelly, and will have him handle playcalling, sources confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday.

Hartline, a former Ohio State standout wide receiver who has coached the team's wideouts since 2018, served as co-offensive coordinator under Kelly last season as the Buckeyes won their first national title in a decade. He held the primary offensive coordinator title in 2023, although head coach Ryan Day handled much of the playcalling. Day gave up playcalling to Kelly after the 2023 season, choosing to focus on the team's overall operation, and is expected to keep the approach with Hartline, according to a source.

Kelly left earlier this week to become Las Vegas Raiders offensive coordinator under new coach Pete Carroll. 247 Sports first reported Hartline's expected promotion.

Hartline played for Ohio State from 2006 to 2008, before entering the NFL draft, where he was selected in the fourth round. He played six seasons for the Miami Dolphins and one for the Cleveland Browns.

Since returning to his alma mater, Hartline has overseen one of the nation's top wide receiver rooms, which has produced five NFL first-round draft picks in the past three drafts, including Marvin Harrison Jr., the No. 4 pick in 2024. Ohio State returns record-setting wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and others for the 2025 season but will be looking for a new starting quarterback.

Offensive analyst Billy Fessler is expected to be promoted to quarterbacks coach, sources confirmed to ESPN's Pete Thamel.

Hartline's offensive staff also will include new line coach Tyler Bowen, who had previously been Virginia Tech's offensive coordinator, sources told Thamel earlier Wednesday. Bowen replaces Justin Frye, who left to coach offensive line for the Arizona Cardinals.

The Washington Wizards are trading Jonas Valanciunas to the Sacramento Kings for Sidy Cissoko and two second-round picks, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania on Wednesday.

The deal comes ahead of Thursday's NBA trade deadline.

Sacramento is using most of its $12.8 million non-taxpayer midlevel exception to acquire Valanciunas' $9.9 million salary. Sources told ESPN's Bobby Marks that the Kings are sending a 2028 Denver Nuggets second-round pick (if No. 34-60) and their own second-rounder in 2029 to Washington. The Denver second-round pick was acquired from San Antonio in the De'Aaron Fox trade.

Valanciunas, 32, was in his first season with Washington after signing a three-year, $30 million deal with the Wizards in June.

He has started the majority of his 13-year career, but he has been coming off the bench this season behind No. 2 pick Alex Sarr.

Valanciunas, a 6-foot-11 center, boasts an excellent touch around the rim and has the ability to stretch the floor at times, particularly from 3-point range.

The moves reunites Valanciunas with DeMar DeRozan, his former teammate in Toronto.

It also gives the Kings a powerful, all-Lithuanian frontcourt with Valanciunas and Domantas Sabonis, former Olympic teammates. Each has 376 career double-doubles, tied for 12th most among active players.

Both the Wizards and Kings have been busy ahead of the deadline.

Earlier Wednesday, Washington acquired Khris Middleton from the Bucks as part of a deal that sent Kyle Kuzma to Milwaukee.

And the Kings previously acquired Zach LaVine as part of the three-team deal that sent Fox to the Spurs. Cissoko was also part of that deal.

Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant has no desire for a reunion with the Golden State Warriors, league sources told ESPN's Shams Charania.

The Warriors have been seriously pursuing a trade before Thursday's deadline with Durant as one of their targets. Golden State is eager to find another star to play alongside franchise star Stephen Curry.

Due to Phoenix's 25-24 record and ninth-place standing in the West entering Wednesday, teams have been aggressively calling the Suns and have inquired about Durant.

However, sources told Charania that Durant does not want to go back to Golden State, after he helped the Warriors win back-to-back titles in two of his three seasons there.

Durant won Finals MVP in both the 2017 and 2018 NBA Finals.

The Suns hope to continue to build around Durant and Devin Booker, but it is unclear where trade talks go between now and the deadline.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Angels have extended their lease at Angel Stadium through 2032.

The team and the city of Anaheim, which owns the stadium, announced the decision Wednesday to extend the Angels' stay at the ballpark they have called home since 1966.

The team's current lease runs through 2029, but includes three three-year extensions that will keep the Halos in the stadium through 2038 if exercised.

"We are excited to announce that we have extended our lease securing the Big A as the home of Angels Baseball into the next decade," Angels spokesperson Marie Garvey said. "As we prepare for our 60th season in Anaheim, we wanted our fans and community partners to know that Angels Baseball and its foundation remain committed to being an active part of this city and region."

Angel Stadium is the fourth-oldest stadium currently in use in the majors. Just like the older Fenway Park, Wrigley Field and Dodger Stadium, the Angels' Orange County home has undergone extensive renovations in the decades since its opening.

The Angels and the city share revenue from ticket sales, parking and other events held at the ballpark, which was known as Anaheim Stadium for its first 32 years of existence.

Angels owner Arte Moreno has spoken for years of his desire to buy Angel Stadium and the surrounding land, likely building a new stadium and developing the parking lots. The city approved a $320 million sale to Moreno in 2020, but the deal collapsed in 2022 amid a corruption investigation of Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu, who resigned.

Just across Katella Avenue from Angel Stadium, Anaheim Ducks owner Henry Samueli is well into construction on OCVibe, a 100-acre entertainment district with extensive commercial and residential development. The reported $4 billion project will soon surround the NHL team's Honda Center, which is also owned by the city.

While the Angels' long-term future is still theoretically up in the air, the current extension acknowledges the obvious unlikelihood of Moreno building another stadium within the next four years.

"The extension is not the result of any long-term discussions between the team and the city, and there are no long-term lease or other talks underway," the city said in a statement.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Outfielder Harrison Bader and the Minnesota Twins have agreed to a one-year contract with a mutual option for 2026, according to multiple reports.

A Gold Glove winner for St. Louis in 2021, Bader will be playing for his fifth team in five seasons.

He hit .236 with 12 homers, 51 RBI and 17 stolen bases in 25 attempts for the New York Mets last year. He was limited to just two postseason starts in 12 games.

Bader is expected to provide an experienced right-handed bat off the bench and excellent defense in the outfield that can keep the Twins from too much of a drop-off in the field when Byron Buxton needs a break.

Bader has spent most of his time in center field but also is capable of playing in the corners. He would fill a role similar to Michael A. Taylor in 2023, one the Twins hoped to rely on Manny Margot for last year, but Margot struggled and was not re-signed.

Bader has a .242 average with 71 homers, 268 RBI and 94 steals in 120 attempts for the Cardinals (2017-22), New York Yankees (2022-23), Cincinnati (2023) and the Mets, who signed the New York native to a $10.5 million, one-year deal.