How ground-breaking VAR change will work in the Carabao Cup semi-final between Newcastle United and Arsenal

It’s the Carabao Cup, but not how we know it.

Tonight will see an intriguing change made to the rules of the competition, with the clash between Arsenal and Newcastle United used as a bit of an English men’s football guinea pig.

For the first time, fans inside the stadium and watching at home on TV will be told, directly from the referee, how VAR decisions have been reached. And here’s all you need to know about it.

What time is the match - and where can you watch it?

This evening’s match at the Emirates is the first leg of the two-legged clash between Arsenal and Newcastle United. The game will kick off at 8pm and can be watched live on Sky Sports Football or ITV.

The second leg will take place at St James’ Park on the evening of February 5.

If both teams cannot be separated after the two 90 minutes, the game will go to extra time and then penalties to decide a winner.

The winner will face Tottenham Hotspur or Liverpool in the final.

What will the announcements be like?

Referees will communicate directly with the crowd and those watching on TV via the Emirates’ public address system, which makes a change from the decision purely being shown on the big screens. This will only happen if the incident is reviewed on the sideline monitor.

The communications in coming to the decision will not, however, go live, only the final call.

The PA system and in-stadium screens normally confirm if a VAR check is in place and the final decision.