Newcastle United hosts Manchester City in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg at St James’ Park. This fixture offers both teams a crucial step towards a Wembley final, with Newcastle as the current holders of the cup and Manchester City eager to reclaim glory. The match kicks off at 8 pm, following an intense few months of domestic and cup commitments for both sides.
Newcastle is enjoying a strong run at home, remaining unbeaten in their last 13 matches at St James’ Park with 11 wins and 2 draws. Their recent resilience was highlighted by a dramatic 7-6 penalty shootout victory over Bournemouth in the FA Cup. Conversely, Manchester City demonstrated their firepower recently by thrashing Exeter City 10-1 but have struggled to maintain consistent Premier League form, recording three consecutive draws, leaving them trailing Arsenal.
Key team news reveals significant changes and challenges. Newcastle’s manager Eddie Howe has made seven changes to his starting eleven compared to their last game. Nick Pope returns as goalkeeper, while Lewis Miley, Lewis Hall, Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton, Jacob Murphy, and Anthony Gordon are also back in the lineup. Harvey Barnes, despite being in scintillating form, starts on the bench to manage workload given the demanding schedule. Newcastle’s defensive options remain limited due to injuries among Dan Burn, Fabian Schar, Tino Livramento, Emil Krafth, and Jamaal Lascelles, forcing Lewis Miley to continue as a makeshift right-back.
Manchester City features five changes for the trip to Tyneside. New additions include Nico O’Reilly, Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, Matheus Nunes, and Jeremy Doku, with Antoine Semenyo making only his second start for the club. The Citizens face defensive absences as Ruben Dias, John Stones, and Josko Gvardiol are sidelined through injury. Midfielders Mateo Kovacic, Oscar Bobb, and Savinho are also unavailable, while Omar Marmoush remains at the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt.
Managers express readiness and respect ahead of the clash. Eddie Howe acknowledged Manchester City’s tactical complexity, stating, “Pep will tactically have something ready for us and we will have to be at our very best to get through.” Howe emphasized the difficulty in reading City’s constantly evolving tactics and praised their collective resilience, particularly in tight matches.
Pep Guardiola responded with trademark humility, downplaying any overconfidence in tactical planning. “I didn’t go to sleep last night thinking about how my genius can come up with a plan for Eddie Howe,” he said. Guardiola highlighted Newcastle’s knack for last-minute victories and the intimidating atmosphere at St James’ Park. He also equated this semi-final with potentially difficult fixtures against Arsenal or Chelsea, underscoring the challenge.
Officials and logistical details for the match:
- Referee: Chris Kavanagh
- Assistant referees: Dan Cook and Ian Hussin
- Fourth official: Matthew Donohue
- VAR: Stuart Attwell
- Assistant VAR: Craig Taylor
Route to the semi-finals:
Both clubs have navigated through competitive fixtures to reach this stage:
- Newcastle defeated Bradford City (4-1), Tottenham Hotspur (2-0), and Fulham (2-1) en route.
- Manchester City overcame Huddersfield Town (2-0), Swansea City (3-1), and Brentford (2-0) on their path.
James Trafford’s situation, the Manchester City goalkeeper currently starting tonight, is attracting speculation. Newcastle’s Eddie Howe praised him publicly, while Guardiola did not dismiss prospects of a summer move for Trafford to St James’ Park, hinting at potential transfer dealings post-season.
This semi-final first leg will provide a platform for tactical masterclasses from both Howe and Guardiola, as their teams battle for an advantageous position ahead of the second leg. The fierce competition promises a dramatic encounter as Newcastle leverages home strength, and Manchester City aims to impose their renowned attacking quality on the road.
Read more at: www.theguardian.com
