Have Keegan and Owen lost it? Kevin is still backing his enigma of a striker

To hear how the Newcastle manager spoke about the club's new captain would be to think that he has inherited a striker who guarantees 30 goals a season.

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Remember those heady days when 20,000 bare-chested fans converged on St James' Park to crown Owen? That was in August 2005 and those who queued to have his name printed on the back of their shirts are still waiting for payback.

"I'm sure Michael will be in the squad," claimed Keegan. "He's fit enough, definitely, he's sharp enough and maybe going with England and being part of that scene will give him opportunities."

Back on planet Earth, Owen is fast becoming an enigma. He can still turn it on, as he did when he scored for England against Israel and twice against Russia last September, but the man who made his name against Argentina in 1998 is losing his talismanic touch.

Despite 140 Barclays Premier League goals in 278 appearances, Owen has never scored 20 league goals in a domestic season. He has scored nine in the FA Cup, including two late strikes in the final against Arsenal in 2001, but he never looked capable of adding to that tally at the Emirates.

Keegan said: "If he gets opportunities, and you can look back to when he was nine or 10, he has always taken them. If I was Michael I would be at my door saying "We aren't creating anything"."

In 180 minutes under Keegan, Newcastle have fashioned only one chance and Alan Smith's effort was comfortably headed off the line by Gael Clichy. Owen, starting his fifth successive game for the first time in his Newcastle career, barely got a touch.

So much for cavalier football and snatching defeat from the jaws of victory to satisfy Newcastle fans. They will back at the Emirates tomorrow night in the Premier League and whatever odds the bookies are offering on Arsenal to win, it is as good as free money.

"If you don't create chances forwards start to think, "When am I going to get some service?"' added Keegan. "I think Emre can give us that. At the moment, we're asking Charles N'Zogbia and James Milner to provide those sort of balls. They can do it but are still learning."

Milner has been around long enough to know what is required and Keegan's shocking claim that Damien Duff had been exceptional on the left wing was either a bad joke or bad judgment.

Although Keegan's side matched Arsenal in the opening 45 minutes that is not nearly enough against a team boasting talent at every turn. Arsenal have match winners in every area of the pitch and it was the turn, somewhat predictably, of Emmanuel Adebayor to confirm the club's place in this afternoon's fifth-round draw.

He had something to prove following his unedifying spat with teammate Nicklas Bendtner during the 5-1 Carling Cup humiliation at Tottenham on Tuesday and he was the difference between the teams.

Some nauseating badge kissing accompanied the celebrations after his first goal, a delicious left-foot strike beyond Shay Given, but more humble high fives followed a brilliantly executed second. That ended Newcastle's interest in this competition but Nicky Butt made certain of it when he deflected Cesc Fabregas' free-kick home in the final minute.

Arsene Wenger's side have something of a love affair with this competition after lifting the trophy four times under his leadership but they have been busy patching up some internal relationships this week.

Bendtner's nose was left bloodied after he was butted by the Togo striker but Adebayor said: "It (the butt) was just a little thing.

"I tried to motivate him and he took it in the wrong way. Then I did something and I have to work at that side of my game.

"We are all passionate about this club and want to win something together as team-mates — and friends."

Pull the other one, Emmanuel. Despite selling an exquisite dummy for Arsenal's second, no one is buying that one.