Manchester [UK], February 5 : Manchester City secured a 5-1 win on aggregate after a brace from Omar Marmoush helped the multi-time Premier League champions secure a 3-1 win over Newcastle United in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semifinal, setting up a title clash with Arsenal.
In the previous leg, City had emerged victorious by 2-0 over Newcastle. The current champions aimed for a comeback during the second leg, but Omar had some other plans, setting up a clash of two English football titans on March 22 at Wembley Stadium.
The current champions, who ended their 70-year-long wait for some major trophy last year with this trophy, hoped for a fine start, but in the seventh minute, a tackle attempt from Dan Burn went in vain as it sent the ball flying over goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.
Omar doubled City's lead with a header in the 29th minute, and the scoreline read 2-0. Just three minutes later, Tijjani Reijnders was assisted by Antoine Semenyo, who left the ball in the box for Tijjani to drive effortlessly into the net.
A bottom corner strike from Anthony Elanga in the 62nd minute opened Newcastle's goal tally. An effort by Harvey Barnes was ruled out for off-side and Elanga missed an effort to score, leaving the scoreline undisturbed for the remainder of the time.
Despite securing the win, City manager Pep Guardiola was left frustrated at Marc Guehi being ineligible to play the title clash, as under the rule Rule 6.4.2 of the competition, a player signed after the semifinal first leg cannot play the remainder of the competition. The former Crystal Palace star was signed by City after the first-leg win, which rules him out of the tournament.
Guardiola told Sky Sports: "Hopefully in March, we can arrive with the players fit and hopefully you can convince the Carabao Cup that Marc Guehi can play in the final because it is difficult to understand that the club who make a big investment to pay one player who belongs to us and I do not understand why he cannot play the final.
"So hopefully we write a letter, and hopefully the Carabao Cup can understand. He is not able to play for a rule that I do not understand why. Hopefully, they can change it," he concluded.
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