Manchester City took a significant step towards the Carabao Cup final with a 2-0 first-leg victory over Newcastle United at St James' Park on Wednesday night, but the win was overshadowed by a major VAR controversy that left manager Pep Guardiola fuming.
City's Control and Controversial Disallowance
The visitors asserted their dominance early on, with Antoine Semenyo breaking the deadlock to give City a crucial away goal. The advantage was doubled later in the match by Rayan Cherki, seemingly putting the tie firmly in City's control. However, the match's major talking point arrived when a second goal from Semenyo was chalked off following an extended Video Assistant Referee review.
The officials ruled that Erling Haaland was in an offside position and impeding a defender in the build-up to the strike, a decision that incensed the City bench and travelling supporters. The lengthy delay and eventual overturn of the goal became the central narrative of the evening.
Guardiola's Post-Match Rant
In his post-match press conference, a visibly frustrated Pep Guardiola launched a pointed critique of the VAR system, highlighting what he perceives as damaging inconsistencies. The Catalan boss did not confine his anger to this single incident, referencing what he believes were unpunished offences against his team in other fixtures.
"We see it again," Guardiola stated. "One day it is offside, another day it is not. They disallow a goal for us today for that, but remember the Premier League game here, remember the FA Cup final. The same situations for us, and nothing. It is not about this game; it is about the feeling that it is not the same for all." His comments pointedly referenced previous encounters with Newcastle and the showpiece final at Wembley.
Howe Looks Ahead to Daunting Second Leg
For Newcastle manager Eddie Howe, the focus swiftly turned to the monumental task awaiting his side at the Etihad Stadium for the second leg. He acknowledged the quality of the opposition and the difficulty of the challenge, with his team having a packed schedule to navigate first.
"It's a big challenge for us now, of course it is," Howe admitted. "We have to go there and give a performance, but we have several important games before we can even think about that. We know what we're going to face." The Magpies will need a historic performance in Manchester to overturn the two-goal deficit and reach the final.
Despite the comfortable scoreline, the fallout from the VAR decision ensures the semi-final's second leg will be played under a cloud of debate regarding the use of technology in the modern game, with Guardiola's outburst adding significant fuel to an ever-burning fire.
