Newcastle Fail, Man City vs Arsenal in the English League Cup Final

JAKARTA - Newcastle United failed to retain the title in the English League Cup after returning to defeat Manchester City 3-1 in the second semi-final at the Etihad Stadium, Thursday, February 5, 2026 WIB. Man City also qualified for the final against Arsenal after a 5-1 aggregate.

Man City was completely unstoppable when facing Newcastle. The 2-0 victory in the first semifinal at Newcastle's home at St James' Park was also a valuable asset for Man City.

Proven, Man City did not have difficulty overcoming The Magpies who needed a victory with a minimum score of two goals to turn the tide. However, they did not give up even though Man City did not field a team with the best strength.

Pep Guardiola's manager chose not to make striker Erling Haaland a starter. In addition to Haaland who sat on the bench, midfielder Rodri, Rayan Cherki, Ruben Dias to goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma did not enter the starting line up. They are prepared to face Liverpool in the big match of the English Premier League at Anfield, this weekend.

A big match that determines the Cityzens' steps in the domestic competition. If they fail again after the last match drawing 2-2 against Tottenham Hotspur, Man City will be more difficult to chase the leaders of the Arsenal standings.

However, in the match against Newcastle, Guardiola still included Haaland and Rodri in the second half. In contrast, Donnarumma was on the bench until the end of the match and James Trafford stood under the crossbar.

Appearing not at full strength does not mean Man City is weakening. They still play solid and immediately three goals during the first 45 minutes. Man City also maintained the lead even though they conceded one goal and stepped into the final for the fifth time during Guardiola's tenure.

If Man City win, Guardiola will also pass the record for top managers, Brian Clough, Jose Mourinho and Sir Alex Ferguson who have won the Carabao Cup four times.

Meanwhile, Newcastle itself failed to defend the trophy which was their first title after last winning it in 1969. When playing the second match, the steps of Eddie Howe's team to the Etihad were indeed heavy because they had to chase a two-goal deficit.

In that match, Man City completely dominated. They dominated the ball from the first minute which made it difficult for Newcastle to develop. Moreover, The Toon Army did not get support from the fans. They chose to save the pound and not come to Manchester because they chose an away tour to London when Newcastle visited Arsenal's headquarters.

With a ball possession advantage of 63%, Man City only scored a goal. And, the wait ended after striker Omar Marmoush who replaced Haaland was able to break the opponent's goal in the seventh minute.

The goal started from the action of midfielder Tijjani Reijnders who released a mature pass to Marmoush. The Egyptian national team striker then maximized the opportunity by launching a shot on goal. The ball hit defender Dan Burn so it turned a little before sliding smoothly into Aaron Ramsdale's goal.

The 1-0 advantage made Man City more aggressive in applying pressure. They didn't give Newcastle the opportunity to get out of the pressure. The home team's attack again gave results when Marmoush scored his second goal in the 29th minute.

Reijnders, again, played a part in the goal process by passing to Antoine Semenyo. He then passed the ball into the goal. Midfielder Kieran Trippier actually tried to hold the ball but failed. The ball slid towards Marmoush who was greeted with a header from close range that broke into the Newcastle goal.

Marmoush's success in scoring a brace also changed the score to 2-0. Man City was more excited to put pressure. They didn't take long to increase the lead.

This time, Reijnders himself scored City's third goal in the 32nd minute. Nyong Ambon, who chose to play for the Dutch national team, managed to control the loose ball in the penalty box and then fired from close range, leaving Ramsdale helpless.

The goal that was created only three minutes later made Man City ahead 3-0. The score did not change until the match entered the second half. Only, Man City suddenly slowed down the pace of the game. With an aggregate lead of 5-0, they were almost certainly through to the final.

Newcastle themselves could only get out of the pressure and develop the game. Only, Newcastle had to wait until the 62nd minute to break Trafford's goal.

Wing player Anthony Elanga finally broke the deadlock after completing an assist from Malick Thiaw. He had brought the ball past Reijnders and Rayan Ait-Nouri before conquering Trafford to change the score to 3-1.

Despite conceding, Man City still dominated the game. Haaland, who was brought in by Guardiola, had threatened Newcastle's defense. However, his efforts could be thwarted by Ramsdale. The score of 3-1 also lasted until the end of the match.