Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola launched a fierce critique of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) decisions following his side's 2-0 victory over Newcastle United in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final on Wednesday 14 January 2026.
Controversy Mars Comfortable Victory
Goals from Antoine Semenyo and Rayan Cherki secured a commanding advantage for the visitors at St James' Park. However, the win was overshadowed by a contentious VAR intervention that ruled out a second goal for Semenyo in the second half.
The disallowed effort came from a corner, with a lengthy review concluding that Erling Haaland was in an offside position and impeding Newcastle defender Malick Thiaw. This decision left Guardiola visibly frustrated on the touchline and sparked a pointed post-match interrogation of officiating standards.
Guardiola's Catalogue of Grievances
Speaking to reporters, the City boss pointedly referenced two specific incidents from his team's 2-1 Premier League defeat at the same ground in November. He questioned why VAR did not intervene for potential penalties involving Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku during that match.
"I'm pretty sure Howard Webb is going to call me tomorrow to take explanations for that," Guardiola stated, referring to the technical director of the Professional Game Match Officials board. He emphasised his frustration with the inconsistency, noting the precise offside line used for a Newcastle goal in the previous fixture compared to the lengthy uncertainty surrounding Haaland's position.
"In the same stadium, what happened? VAR intervened, 'take a look, take a look' – today was more than six minutes (reviewing) and we're not even able to discuss it with the referee," he added.
Howe Looks Ahead to Daunting Second Leg
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe acknowledged the scale of the task facing his team in the return leg at the Etihad Stadium in February. With five games to play before the second leg, he admitted his side must improve significantly to overturn the deficit.
"I think it is probably our biggest challenge, our biggest test of everything really," Howe said. "We're going to have to defend well in that game, otherwise we've got no chance." He added that the distance between the two legs allows his squad to focus on their upcoming fixtures before confronting the monumental challenge at the home of the champions.
While Manchester City take a strong lead back to Manchester, the debate over VAR's application, reignited by Guardiola's comments, is sure to dominate headlines alongside the footballing result.
