Manchester City Cruise Past Newcastle To Set Up Arsenal Final

Manchester City fans were treated to a rousing display at the Etihad Stadium on February 4, 2026, as their team swept aside Newcastle United 3-1 in the second leg of the EFL Cup semifinals, sealing a 5-1 aggregate victory and booking a date with Arsenal at Wembley for the Carabao Cup final on March 22. The Citizens, carrying a 2-0 advantage from the first leg at St. James’ Park, wasted no time snuffing out any hopes of a Magpies miracle, with Omar Marmoush at the heart of the action.

From the opening whistle, Manchester City looked every bit the juggernaut their fans have come to expect under Pep Guardiola. Just six minutes into the contest, Marmoush found himself in the right place at the right time, capitalizing on a fortunate deflection to put City ahead 1-0. "The first goal was very lucky, I dragged a player out, played a one-two, but my touch was not the best, but in the end the ball went in," Marmoush admitted, reflecting on his opener. That early strike effectively ended Newcastle’s already slim hopes of a comeback and set the tone for the rest of the match.

Newcastle, managed by Eddie Howe, knew they needed something extraordinary to overturn the deficit. They pressed high, pushing their midfielders forward in a desperate attempt to claw back into the tie. But this aggression left gaping spaces in the middle of the park, and City’s creative talents wasted no time exploiting them. "I was a bit surprised that there was so much space in between the lines. With players like Phil Foden and me, when we get that space, we can attack very quick," said Tijjani Reijnders, who would soon add his own name to the scoresheet.

City’s second goal came just before the half-hour mark, with Marmoush once again at the center of the action. The Egyptian forward headed in from close range, notching his second of the night and his fifth goal against Newcastle at the Etihad this season. The home crowd roared, sensing that a Wembley trip was now all but secured. Within minutes, the rout continued. Reijnders pounced on a loose ball in the Newcastle box and slotted home City’s third, making it 3-0 before halftime and pushing the aggregate score to a daunting 5-0.

Newcastle’s defense, already stretched thin, struggled to cope with City’s relentless movement and incisive passing. Former England defender Micah Richards, analyzing the match, noted, "Let's not forget Newcastle had to score. They had to press high. They were trying to get a goal but left loads of space in the middle. Once you analyse it, your three centre backs have been told to get high. There is no problem with that - but the midfielders can go too early and the centre halves don't know what to do. There is so much space. There is no communication and it leaves the massive gap - Man City will punish you."

Despite the lopsided scoreline, Newcastle did manage a moment of quality in the second half. On 62 minutes, Anthony Elanga curled in a fine consolation goal, giving the traveling supporters something to cheer about. Harvey Barnes even had a goal disallowed, but the damage was done. The holders’ reign was coming to an end, and City’s march to Wembley was unstoppable.

It was a night of mixed emotions for the Magpies. Anthony Gordon, a key attacking threat, was forced off with a hamstring injury, adding to Newcastle’s woes. Howe was left to shuffle his pack, making three changes at halftime in a bid to spark a response. But as the statistics show, history was never on Newcastle’s side: no team has ever reached a Carabao Cup final after losing the first leg at home by two or more goals. The Magpies have also only ever won once at the Etihad since 2014, and City’s imperious home record against Newcastle now stands at 18 wins from their last 19 meetings, including 12 in a row.

For City, the victory was more than just another trip to Wembley. It marked their 10th League Cup final appearance and a chance for Pep Guardiola to add a 19th trophy to his already glittering tenure. The Spaniard, though, had one eye on the future, particularly the eligibility of Marc Guehi for the final. "Hopefully in March, we can arrive with the players fit and hopefully you can convince the Carabao Cup that Marc Guehi can play in the final because it's difficult to understand that the club who make a big investment to pay one player who belongs to us and I don't understand why he cannot play the final. So hopefully we write a letter and hopefully the Carabao Cup can understand. He's not able to play for a rule that I don't understand why. Hopefully, they can change it. It's a pleasure to play against Arsenal, the best team right now in Europe, maybe in the world," Guardiola stated.

The final promises to be a tactical chess match, pitting Guardiola against his former assistant Mikel Arteta. Arsenal, currently six points clear at the top of the Premier League, will be eager to shed their reputation as “nearly men” and claim a major trophy. For City, it’s a chance at redemption after last year’s FA Cup final heartbreak and a shot at cementing their dominance in English football.

Reijnders, savoring his first trip to Wembley, summed up the mood in the City camp: "I play football because I want to win trophies and now going to Wembley for the first time there - that will be amazing. We will do everything to win the Carabao Cup. It will be a tough match but we will be very hungry, and we want to win this title. They play amazing and they are really balanced team but we have to analyse in March and see where we can gain our strength to win that game."

As the dust settles on a commanding semifinal performance, City’s attention now shifts to a Premier League showdown with Liverpool, while Newcastle will look to regroup before hosting Brentford. But for now, all eyes are on Wembley, where two of England’s footballing giants will collide in what promises to be a memorable Carabao Cup final.