Newcastle vs Man City live: Rayan Cherki adds late second goal after controversial VAR incident | OneFootball

Close

Pep Guardiola on Man City's Carabao Cup semi final trip to Newcastle

A late goal from Rayan Cherki gave Manchester City a 2-0 win to put Pep Guardiola’s side in the driving seat of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Newcastle United.

The hosts had the better of the match early on as City barely threatened, with Yoane Wissa missing a glorious chance in the first five minutes in a first half in which City failed to have a shot on target.

Both sides went in level at the break but the game exploded into life in the second half, with Wissa forcing a great save from James Trafford before Bruno Guimaraes rattled the post.

However, it was City who struck first just as Newcastle looked to be in the ascendancy, with new signing Antoine Semenyo latching on to Bernardo Silva’s touch to tap in from close range.

Newcastle pressed for an equaliser and while Semenyo had a second ruled out in controversial circumstances, the visitors still had time to get a second as Cherki swept home late on to put the Cityzens in the driving seat ahead of the second leg at the Etihad.

Pinned

Antoine Semenyo’s flying start puts Man City on brink of Carabao Cup final

Knocked out of the Carabao Cup in August, Antoine Semenyo may be taking Manchester City to the final of it. And if that made little sense, the rule change that allowed players to represent two clubs in the competition this season had irritated Eddie Howe even before Manchester City’s latest signing threated to end Newcastle’s defence of their first major trophy since the 1960s.

In previous years, he would have been cup-tied. Not now. Semenyo’s part in Bournemouth’s summer defeat to Brentford may be no impediment to claiming a winner’s medal. His first-leg strike, coupled with Rayan Cherki’s 99th-minute second, means City can envisage a March date with Arsenal or Chelsea at Wembley. Newcastle need a turnaround at the Etihad next month.

Antoine Semenyo’s flying start puts Man City on brink of Carabao Cup final

Newcastle 0-2 Man City: Semenyo score the opener and had a goal ruled out as City claimed the advantage in the league cup tie

Read more

Chris Wilson13 January 2026 22:22

Carabao Cup dates

The second-leg matches will take place across 3/4 February.

As always the final will be held at Wembley, with the first final of the season coming on 22 March.

Chris Wilson14 January 2026 00:00

Howe: Late goal 'a body blow'

Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe was last to speak tp Sky Sports. He says that it was “a body blow” to concede again in the last minute”, thought it is “not fatal at the moment”.

“We're still in there fighting. I think maybe a bit of naivety with a minute to go on the clock, that we're still trying to chase a goal. In that moment, we needed to defend after we got our structure wrong from that position, and we got punished. I think the lads gave everything today under difficult circumstances after the extra time on Saturday, and there was a bit of fatigue in our performance, but I can't fault the players."

On Yoane Wissa missing that early chance, he adds: "Looking back with hindsight, you'd say that's potentially a big turning point. We wanted to get the crowd fully into the match. Manchester City want to do the opposite by retaining the ball and calm the crowd down, also it's always that dynamic by the two teams. Yoane's a top player. He's still finding his very best level after a long time injured. Maybe in a couple more weeks that might've gone in.

"All I can look at is the effort levels of the players, and I think considering Saturday's efforts that we gave against Bournemouth, that was a great effort from the guys against the worst side that could expose that fatigue."

(AFP via Getty Images)