Manchester City 3-1 (Total: 5-1) Newcastle: Josep Guardiola’s side were relentless as Omar Marmouche scored twice against the Etihad to build on their first-leg advantage.
Omar Marmouche leads Man City back to Wembley final
Manchester City tore apart Newcastle and by half-time of the second leg were gearing up for the Carabao Cup final, but Arsenal stood between them and further victory at Wembley.
Josep Guardiola’s side took the lead inside 10 minutes through Omar Marmouche, squeezing home the two-goal advantage they had held in the first leg. The Egyptian was tasked with leading the line and following a last-minute Dan Byrne tackle the ball came flying in, but Aaron Ramsdale had no chance.
Marmouche doubled his tally for the night (his fifth goal against the Magpies in two games against the Etihad) with a header into a virtually empty goal.
James Trafford had an unusual start, denying Joe Willock and Anthony Gordon from coming close to scoring within the first 20 minutes, but it was a chance for the visitors they would regret missing.
Tijani Lijnders once again defeated Newcastle’s high press and added five goals for City in total by the end of the first half.
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The Magpies lost winger Anthony Gordon to a muscular problem and was sent off in the first half, with Eddie Howe causing further uncertainty for the side below the table.
The visiting team made a late change knowing their hopes were all but gone and grabbed a consolation through Anthony Elanga. This summer’s signing is yet to take off, but he showed the pace, directness and decisiveness that led Newcastle to pay more than £50m to secure his services. The former Nottingham Forest winger should have added to his tally, but a sluggish finish meant the visiting side were unable to increase the pressure.
Here are five talking points about what was a relatively routine night for City, who will be making their 22nd Wembley appearance under Guardiola.
The blockbuster finals await.
It’s not every day you get to see the top two teams in the Premier League play each other in the Carabao Cup final, but that will be the case when City face Arsenal at Wembley. As we near the business end of the season, this competition offers a number of subplots beyond the event itself.
Tijani Lijnders was one of the goalscorers on Wednesday night.
City, and Guardiola in particular, have been dominant in this competition and further success would not only increase their trophy haul but also give them a boost heading into the final months. It could also plant seeds of doubt in the minds of rivals. Arsenal will need to erase deep-seated doubts that they won’t win the trophy, and a win could dash City’s title hopes. Therefore, all eyes are on March 15th.
Mamush’s lucky signs
Things slowed down for a guy who started with a bang. The Egyptian attracted a lot of attention when he arrived from Frankfurt this time last year and among his early achievements was a hat-trick against Newcastle at the Etihad. He finished last season with eight goals, but only played half the campaign.
This year, it has been difficult to get playing time, and he is less impressive than he was at the beginning. But little did anyone know that Marmouche was playing with complete confidence as he was tasked with leading the back line. With his first goal, which included a fair bit of luck, he hit the ground running and immediately looked like the player who terrorized defenses last year.
Mr. Trafford files suit.
Guardiola has already been questioned over the possibility of Trafford leaving Manchester less than a year after signing from Burnley. Ironically, Newcastle were heavily linked with the goalkeeper even before he returned to his old club, but little did he know that Gianluigi Donnarumma had arrived.
James Trafford proved his worth with Man City goal
That limited his playing time, but Newcastle may have thought they might have been in the game without the Englishman, who made a big save despite a lackluster display and 3-0 lead at half-time. Failing to keep a clean sheet will no doubt put a damper on his night, but his performance could give Guardiola food for thought and motivate other clubs to pursue him.
Newcastle counterattack
They may not have been able to fight back on the scoreline, Elanga’s goal was just a consolation, but it’s easy to look at the scoreline and think it was a one-way street and Howe are back to square one. Instead, they have enough to bring back to the Northeast.
Trafford had an impressive first half, conceding a goal or two, but did well enough to score in the 45th minute of the second half, by which point the game was decided. If anything, the visiting supporters should have celebrated more and if it hadn’t been for the bizarre offside call and questionable finishing, who knows how much more nervous they would have made the Etihad.
Anthony Elanga came off the bench to score for Newcastle.
Pep’s swan song?
This week, there has been growing talk of Guardiola’s departure from the club. Last year he missed out on the trophy for the first time since the 2016/17 season and will be desperate to avoid a repeat of that. Manuel Pellegrini stepped down as City manager in 2016, bidding farewell after the team won the Carabao Cup at Wembley.
Guardiola has one year left on his contract, but City have not announced anything about his future. But it seems inconceivable that one of the greatest businessmen to ever grace these shores should not land another piece of silverware before the day is out.
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