Manchester City secured a 2-0 victory over Newcastle United in the EFL Cup semi-final first leg at St James' Park. Antoine Semenyo scored the opener in the 53rd minute, with Rayan Cherki adding a late second in stoppage time. The result gives City a strong advantage ahead of the return leg at the Etihad.
Manchester City took a commanding lead in the EFL Cup semi-final with a 2-0 win over defending champions Newcastle United at St James' Park on January 13, 2026. The match, which kicked off at 8pm UK time, saw few scoring chances in the first half, with Newcastle's best opportunity coming early when Yoane Wissa's shot sailed over the bar after a cross from Jacob Murphy.
Newcastle suffered a setback just before halftime as Murphy was injured and replaced by Harvey Barnes. After the break, Wissa nearly made amends with a header tipped onto the woodwork by City goalkeeper James Trafford, followed by Bruno Guimaraes hitting the post from the same sequence.
City broke the deadlock in the 53rd minute when Jeremy Doku's low cross deflected off Bernardo Silva to Antoine Semenyo, who tapped in from close range. This marked Semenyo's second goal in as many games since joining City, following his debut strike in the 10-1 FA Cup win over Exeter City days earlier.
Semenyo thought he had doubled the lead from a corner, but VAR ruled it out due to Erling Haaland's offside position. Newcastle pushed forward, with substitute Sandro Tonali firing wide, but City held firm. Rayan Cherki, introduced from the bench, sealed the win in the 99th minute by sweeping home to give Pep Guardiola's side a healthy cushion for the second leg in three weeks.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe had anticipated a tough challenge, stating beforehand: "Manchester City are the hardest team in the country to play over two legs." City, absent from EFL Cup semi-finals since their 2020-21 triumph, started with a strong lineup including Haaland and Phil Foden, while Newcastle fielded Nick Pope in goal amid defensive injuries.
