Manchester City took a commanding step toward the Carabao Cup final last night with a 2–0 victory over Newcastle United at St James’ Park, a semi-final first leg shaped by fine margins, a bruising midfield battle and a VAR delay that left both benches seething. City’s new signing Antoine Semenyo continued his flying start in sky blue by scoring again, and Rayan Cherki struck deep in stoppage time to give Pep Guardiola’s side a cushion that looks significant heading into the return at the Etihad.
Newcastle began with far more edge than their recent results might suggest and should have made City pay during a lively first-half spell. Twice the Magpies went within inches of a lead, with efforts rattling the woodwork as they targeted a City back line missing regular starters and forced the visitors into hurried clearances. Eddie Howe’s side were direct without being reckless, and when they pressed high they unsettled City’s build-up, creating the kind of scrappy, second-ball contest that suited the home crowd and raised the volume inside St James’ Park.
City gradually settled and started to impose their usual rhythm, with long spells of possession and quick switches of play designed to isolate Newcastle’s full-backs. Jérémy Doku provided the most obvious threat, repeatedly trying to drive at his man and draw contact, while Bernardo Silva drifted into pockets to link play. Still, clear chances were rare before the break and the tie had that cautious feel you often get in first legs—Newcastle wary of conceding, City patient and calculating, both sides waiting for the moment that would open the match up.
That moment arrived early in the second half. A sharp City move down the right ended with Bernardo’s clever flick taking Newcastle’s defenders out of the game, and Semenyo reacted quickest to turn the ball home from close range on 53 minutes. It was the kind of goal City live on—fast combination play, movement in the box, and a forward attacking the space with conviction.
Newcastle tried to respond, but the game was then dominated by an extraordinary VAR stoppage. Semenyo thought he had made it 2–0 around ten minutes later, only for the goal to be ruled out after a long, awkward review that dragged on for several minutes. The decision centred on offside interference, with Erling Haaland judged to have impacted the play from an offside position. The delay drained the flow from the contest, angered the stands, and sparked visible frustration on the touchlines—yet it also seemed to sharpen City’s focus rather than shake it.
As Newcastle pushed to keep the deficit at one, spaces began to appear for City on transitions. James Trafford, starting in goal, produced a key save to preserve the lead at a moment when Newcastle threatened to build momentum, but the visitors increasingly looked the more likely to score. Howe turned to his bench to find a spark, while Guardiola introduced fresh legs and control, instructing his side to keep the ball and pick the right moments to accelerate.
The decisive second goal finally arrived in the dying seconds of added time. City broke with purpose, Semenyo helped drive the move forward again, and Cherki arrived to apply the finish from close range to make it 2–0 in stoppage time. For Newcastle, it was a bitter blow—conceding right at the end of a tie they had fought hard to keep alive.
After the match, Guardiola praised City’s overall performance and the amount of work his players put in off the ball, but he was visibly irritated by the length and handling of the VAR intervention, arguing that delays of that nature damage the spectacle and leave too much room for confusion. He also suggested the disallowed goal incident “fuelled” his team, turning frustration into extra intensity for the closing stages.
Howe, meanwhile, felt the scoreline was harsh on his side’s effort and pointed to the key moments Newcastle didn’t take—especially their early chances and the woodwork strikes that could have changed the tie completely. He also criticised the stop-start nature created by the lengthy VAR pause, saying it’s difficult for players and supporters when the match is held in limbo for so long, and admitted Newcastle now face a steep task in the second leg but insisted they will travel to Manchester believing they can still make it a fight.
City will head into the return leg with a valuable two-goal advantage, while Newcastle are left to rue a night when they had opportunities to shift the tie, only to be punished by City’s clinical edge and a final twist in stoppage time.
