Manchester City started their Carabao Cup semifinal on a strong foot as they secured a crucial 2-0 victory away at Newcastle United tonight in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final, setting themselves up well for the return tie at the Etihad Stadium next month.
Pep Guardiola's side travelled to St James’ Park looking to take a strong advantage into the second leg of this two-legged battle for a place at Wembley in March and delivered under the floodlights. From kick-off, both sides showed attacking intent, with the Magpies' forward, Yoanne Wissa, fluffing chances that came his way, including a brilliant header that was met by a brilliant save from City's shot stopper, James Trafford. However, it was City who found the breakthrough after half-time, with Antoine Semenyo slotting home in the 53rd minute to give Pep Guardiola’s side the lead against a spirited Newcastle defence. Semenyo’s goal was a reward for City’s persistent pressure, and it lifted the visitors as they hunted further progress in the competition. Newcastle entered the tie as the current Carabao Cup holders after their triumph last season, but struggled to carve out clear chances against City’s well-organised back line. The Magpies had made seven changes to their starting XI in an effort to manage player workloads and cope with injuries, but the disruption seemed to blunt their usual attacking rhythm on the night. As the clock ticked to the final whistle, City sealed their advantage with a dramatic late goal from Rayan Cherki in stoppage time, ensuring the visitors took a two-goal cushion back to Manchester ahead of the second leg in early February. Cherki’s strike came deep into added time and may prove vital should the tie remain finely poised over the two legs. The result will delight Guardiola, who has made several changes to his squad in the earlier rounds but still maintained a strong core of attacking talent. City’s performance underlined their intentions to reclaim the Carabao Cup, a trophy they last lifted in the 2020-21 season and have won eight times in their history. For Newcastle, the disappointment of tonight’s result will be tempered by the knowledge that the tie is far from over. As hosts in the first leg, the Magpies will head to Manchester knowing they must find a response at the Etihad in the return fixture if they are to defend their title successfully. Newcastle’s form at home has been solid this season, and their run of unbeaten matchesin recent weeks suggests they will remain a threat heading into February.
City’s tactical discipline and clinical edge at both ends of the pitch ultimately made the difference at St James’ Park, and Guardiola’s experience in navigating cup ties was evident throughout the contest. As the two teams prepare for leg two of this semi-final contest, attention will now turn to how Newcastle can overturn the deficit and whether City can maintain momentum on their march towards Wembley.
Attention will also turn to Wednesday's clash between London rivals, Arsenal and Chelsea, who meet at Stamford Bridge for day two of the semifinal.
.png)
0 Comments
DON'T FORGET TO COMMENT YOU are chatting with Peter Lightspeed himself 😎