Manchester City have taken a giant stride towards the Carabao Cup final after securing a commanding 2-0 first-leg victory over holders Newcastle United at St James' Park on Tuesday night.
Semenyo's Instant Impact
New signing Antoine Semenyo was the hero once again, breaking the deadlock just eight minutes after the interval. The £62.5 million winger, who was eligible to play despite featuring for Bournemouth earlier in the competition due to a rule change, poked home from close range after a clever touch from Bernardo Silva. This marked his second goal in as many games for his new club.
The first half was a tightly-contested affair with few clear-cut chances. Newcastle's Yoane Wissa missed a golden opportunity early on, while City's Erling Haaland was kept quiet by a resolute Magpies defence. The physical battle in midfield saw bookings for Joelinton, Nico O'Reilly and Matheus Nunes.
Controversy and Late Clinching Goal
City thought they had doubled their lead in the 63rd minute when Semenyo flicked in a corner, but the goal was controversially disallowed after a lengthy VAR review for offside against Haaland. Newcastle tried to capitalise on the reprieve, with Bruno Guimaraes hitting the post and Sven Botman forcing a save, but they lacked a cutting edge.
As the hosts pushed forward in search of an equaliser, City sealed the victory deep into stoppage time. Substitute Rayan Cherki, who had been denied twice by Nick Pope, played a slick one-two with fellow replacement Rayan Ait-Nouri before coolly slotting past the goalkeeper to make it 2-0.
Road to the Final
The result means eight-time winners Manchester City will defend a strong two-goal advantage when the sides meet for the second leg at the Etihad Stadium on February 4. Pep Guardiola's side are now firm favourites to reach the final at Wembley, leaving Eddie Howe's Newcastle with a monumental task to overturn the deficit and keep hold of the trophy they won last season.
