Carabao Cup: Manchester City set up Arsenal final after Newcastle rout
Manchester City booked their place in the Carabao Cup final with a dominant 5-1 aggregate victory over Newcastle United sealing a Wembley showdown against Premier League leaders Arsenal.
Pep Guardiola’s side overturned any lingering doubt from the first leg early in Wednesday’s return fixture at the Etihad Stadium, scoring three first-half goals to put the semi-final beyond Newcastle’s reach.
Fast start kills the tie
Trailing 2-0 from the first leg, Newcastle needed an early breakthrough but instead suffered the worst possible opening.
Omar Marmoush struck in the sixth minute, his deflected effort looping over goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale to give City immediate control of the contest.
Marmoush was handed a rare start in place of Erling Haaland and made the most of his opportunity. After Ramsdale produced a fine save to deny Tijjani Reijnders, City continued to dominate possession and territory.
Newcastle had brief moments of promise, with James Trafford reacting sharply to smother chances from Joe Willock and Anthony Gordon. Those missed opportunities proved costly.
Marmoush doubled City’s lead on the half-hour mark, heading in from close range, before Reijnders capitalised on a loose ball to make it 3-0 before half-time and effectively end the tie.
Newcastle consolation, City cruise
With the aggregate scoreline firmly in their favour, City managed the second half with little difficulty.
Newcastle did pull one back on 62 minutes when Anthony Elanga curled a fine effort beyond Trafford, offering a brief moment of relief for the travelling supporters.
Harvey Barnes later had a goal ruled out, but there was no late comeback as City controlled the closing stages without being stretched.
The result confirmed City’s 10th appearance in a League Cup final and underlined their strength in domestic knockout competitions under Guardiola.
Wembley date confirmed
City will now face Arsenal in the final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, 22 March. The Gunners progressed after edging Chelsea over two legs in the other semi-final and will be aiming to lift the trophy for the first time since 1993.
For Newcastle, the defeat ends their defence of the title and highlights the scale of the task they faced after falling behind in the first leg.
