Intro
Manchester City dominate holders, set up Wembley showdown with Arsenal after commanding win
Manchester
Manchester City booked their place in the English League Cup final with a commanding 3-1 win over Newcastle United at the Etihad Stadium, sealing a 5-1 aggregate victory and ending the Magpies’ reign as defending champions.
Already holding a first-leg advantage from their January win on Tyneside, Pep Guardiola’s side wasted little time asserting control in the second leg. City’s sharp movement, quick transitions and clinical finishing proved too much for a Newcastle team that struggled to cope with the early intensity.
Omar Marmoush was the standout performer, striking twice in the first half to put the tie firmly beyond Newcastle’s reach. The Egyptian opened the scoring in the seventh minute when a last-ditch tackle from Dan Burn ricocheted off him and looped into the net. Marmoush doubled City’s advantage midway through the half, reacting quickest to head home from close range after Kieran Trippier failed to clear Antoine Semenyo’s cross.
City struck again just minutes later through Tijjani Reijnders, who finished off a slick counter-attack with a composed low drive after exchanging passes with Semenyo. Newcastle, rattled by the pace and precision of City’s play, found themselves chasing shadows for much of the opening period.
Anthony Elanga pulled one back for the visitors in the 62nd minute with a fine solo effort, but it proved little more than a consolation as City comfortably saw out the remainder of the match.
The victory sets up a mouth-watering final against Arsenal at Wembley on March 22, after the Premier League leaders knocked out Chelsea in the other semi-final. It will be City’s first League Cup final appearance since 2021.
For Guardiola, the result offered timely relief following recent league frustrations and reinforced his belief in the squad’s ability to compete for silverware. Newcastle manager Eddie Howe, meanwhile, admitted his side fell short in the decisive first half, as City’s ruthless efficiency once again underlined their pedigree on the big stage.