Manchester City edge Newcastle 2-0 in the first leg of the 2025/26 Carabao Cup semi-final at St. James’ Park, with Semenyo and Cherki on the scoresheet.
It was a night at St. James’ Park that felt like a tug-of-war between pedigree and perseverance. On 13 January 2026, under the January chill and the weight of knockout football, Manchester City walked away with a slender but telling advantage over Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup 2025/26 semi-final first leg.
For Newcastle, the occasion carried the expectation of a title defence and local pride. For City, it was another step toward a piece of silverware that has eluded them since 2021. In a tie that balanced on fine margins and contentious decisions, it was the visitors who ultimately drew first blood in what promises to be an engrossing two-legged battle.
First Half: Cautious Chess on the Pitch
From the outset, both sides approached the game with respect and calculation. Newcastle’s 4-3-3 sought to probe wide and draw City out of position, with Joelinton and Bruno Guimarães orchestrating the midfield’s rhythm. But Manchester City’s disciplined 4-1-4-1, anchored by their pivot and orchestrated through quick circulation, denied their hosts any meaningful continuity. Attempts from both sides in the opening 45 minutes were sporadic and lacked conviction, emblematic of two teams refusing to overcommit early in a tie so finely poised.
Second Half Spark: Semenyo’s Breakthrough and VAR Drama
The second half brought the decisive moment. Manchester City’s new recruit Antoine Semenyo — still embedding himself into Pep Guardiola’s system — found the opener on the hour mark, reacting quickest to a cross from Jeremy Doku to finish clinically. It was an incisive strike that rewarded City’s persistence and premiership-level sharpness.
City might have doubled their lead soon after. Semenyo appeared to flick home his second, only for VAR to intervene after a lengthy review. The replay showed Erling Haaland fractionally offside and impeding a Newcastle defender — the decision coming after almost six minutes of deliberation. Within the ebb and flow of this semi-final, it was a flashpoint: not just a technical call, but a moment that reshaped the tactical balance.
Newcastle pressed with urgency after the controversy, hitting the woodwork and forcing saves from City’s goalkeeper. Yet their final ball often lacked that cutting edge necessary to genuinely unbalance Guardiola’s structure.
Cherki’s Late Touch Seals the Night
Just when the tie threatened to simmer toward a tense close, Rayan Cherki delivered a late sucker-punch in added time. Collecting a loose ball from a wide phase of play, Cherki’s left-footed finish — smoothly taken and brutally effective — gave City a 2-0 cushion going into the second leg. Timing matters in two-legged affairs, and arriving right at the death, this goal underscored City’s patience and tactical control.
Tactical Narrative: Control Through Structure
City’s victory was built not on overwhelming dominance, but on granular superiority. In possession, their midfield rotations disrupted Newcastle’s pressing triggers. Out of possession, compact lines forced Newcastle into predictable channels, where City’s defenders were comfortable to engage. The balance of possession — slightly in City’s favour — reflected this controlled authority rather than flighty territorial advantage.
Newcastle’s shape offered glimpses of attacking intent, but they routinely found themselves one pass away from danger. Their wingers stretched play well, yet without a reliable link between midfield and forward line, their influence diminished as the match wore on.
What the Result Means
A 2-0 away win in a semi-final first leg is more than a scoreline — it’s psychological currency. City now carry both an advantage and the strategic leverage to dictate the tie’s tempo back at the Etihad. For Newcastle, the task ahead is formidable: overturning a two-goal deficit against one of England’s most tactically coherent sides demands precision and resilience.
City’s clinical edge and measured performance provide them with momentum — albeit hard earned — as they chase further honors this season.
In a contest marked by fine margins and tactical nuance, it was Manchester City’s calculated execution under pressure that yielded the decisive blows on the night.