City Cruise As Newcastle Snatch Late Winner To Complete Carabao Cup Semi Final Line Up

Manchester City booked their place in the EFL Cup semi finals with a controlled 2-0 victory over Brentford at the Etihad Stadium, producing just enough quality to dispatch a stubborn but limited Bees side.

The opening half offered little in the way of clear chances as heavy rain and numerous changes disrupted the rhythm, but City eventually found their breakthrough in the 32nd minute through Rayan Cherki. The French midfielder produced a moment of pure class, controlling a loose clearance on the edge of the area before curling an unstoppable effort into the top right corner to give Pep Guardiola’s side the lead.

Brentford struggled to respond and offered little threat going forward, managing only a single tame effort on target before the break. City grew in confidence after half time and continued to dominate possession, patiently probing for a second goal.

That decisive second arrived in the 67th minute when Savinho capitalised on a swift counter attack. His low strike took a deflection off Kristoffer Ajer, looping awkwardly over the goalkeeper and into the far corner to effectively seal the contest. From there, City managed the game with ease, rotating players and seeing out the remaining minutes without alarm.

Cherki was later named Man of the Match after a commanding display, while City’s progression felt routine as they once again underlined their pedigree in the competition they have dominated in recent years.

Earlier in the evening at St James’ Park, Newcastle United were forced to dig deep before edging Fulham 2-1 in a dramatic encounter settled deep into stoppage time.

The holders made a fast start and took the lead inside 10 minutes when Yoane Wissa marked his first start with a close range finish after Fulham failed to deal with a dangerous cross. However, the advantage was short lived as Fulham responded almost immediately. Sasa Lukic rose unmarked to head in Antonee Robinson’s delivery and restore parity just six minutes later.

Newcastle controlled large spells of the match but found it difficult to break down a disciplined Fulham defence as the game drifted towards a penalty shootout. The breakthrough finally arrived in the second minute of added time when teenage midfielder Lewis Miley met Sandro Tonali’s inswinging corner with a perfectly guided header to spark wild celebrations among the home fans.

The late goal sent Newcastle into their third semi final in four seasons and kept their title defence alive, while Fulham were left to rue another painful quarter final exit despite a resilient performance.

With Manchester City, Newcastle United and Chelsea now confirmed in the last four, the Carabao Cup moves closer to its decisive stage, promising heavyweight clashes and renewed belief among the remaining contenders as the competition resumes in the new year.