Manchester City vs Newcastle United – Match preview and team news | OneFootball

Manchester City welcome Newcastle United to the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night for the decisive second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final, holding a commanding 2–0 aggregate lead.

Strikes from Antoine Semenyo and Rayan Cherki at St James’ Park three weeks ago have put the Citizens in the driving seat to reach their 10th EFL Cup final. However, Pep Guardiola’s men arrive with questions to answer following a frustrating weekend draw at Tottenham, where they surrendered a two-goal half-time lead.

For the defending champions, Newcastle, the task is monumental; they must become only the second team in the competition’s history to overturn a two-goal first-leg deficit to reach the final. While Eddie Howe remains defiant, his squad is weathering a storm of injuries and a dip in away form that saw them fall 4–1 at Liverpool last weekend.

Manchester City vs Newcastle United – Match preview and team news

Team News

Manchester City

Pep Guardiola is monitoring the fitness of playmaker Rayan Cherki, who sustained a knock against Spurs but is expected to feature. While Rúben Dias has returned to first-team training, he is not yet match-fit. The Citizens remain without Jeremy Doku (calf), Joško Gvardiol (tibial fracture), John Stones (thigh), and Savinho. January signing Marc Guéhi is ineligible for this fixture. James Trafford is expected to start in goal.

Newcastle United

Eddie Howe confirmed that captain Bruno Guimarães and young midfielder Lewis Miley are both expected to miss the trip to Manchester. They join a lengthy absentee list including Joelinton (groin), Tino Livramento (hamstring), Fabian Schär (ankle), and Emil Krafth (knee). However, Sven Botman is fit and available for selection. Sandro Tonali is likely to lead a depleted three-man midfield.

Form

Manchester City

The Citizens have made the Etihad a fortress, and they enter this tie having won 17 of their last 18 home games against Newcastle across all competitions. Notably, City have struggled to maintain leads recently; in 2026, they have conceded six second-half goals in the Premier League without scoring once themselves. Despite this, Rayan Cherki remains in peak cup form, having scored in all three of his EFL Cup appearances this term.

Newcastle United

The Magpies’ 10-game winning run in the EFL Cup, dating back to 2024, was ended by City in the first leg. Their road form has also dipped, highlighted by the recent heavy defeat at Anfield. Notably, Newcastle are looking to avoid becoming only the third EFL Cup holders to be eliminated at the semi-final stage. Anthony Gordon remains their primary creative outlet, leading the team with six chances created in the competition this season.

Predicted Lineups

Manchester City Predicted XI: Trafford; Nunes, Khusanov, Ake, Ait-Nouri; Rodri, O’Reilly; Cherki, Bernardo; Semenyo, Haaland

Newcastle United Predicted XI: Pope; Trippier, Thiaw, Burn, Hall; Willock, Tonali, Ramsey; Barnes, Wissa, Gordon

How to Watch Manchester City vs Newcastle United?

The match will be broadcast live in the UK on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football, and Sky Ultra HD. Streaming is available via Now TV and the Sky Go app.

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