Semenyo on target again as Man City take control of League Cup semi against Newcastle

Manchester City’s Antoine Semenyo made it two goals from two games for his new club and Rayan Cherki struck in stoppage time as Pep Guardiola’s side beat holders Newcastle United 2-0 away in the first leg of their League Cup semi-final on Tuesday.

Semenyo, who joined in a 65 million pound deal from Bournemouth this month, got on the end of Jeremy Doku’s cross in the 53rd minute to score from close range.

It could have been even better for Semenyo who thought he had put City 2-0 ahead later on but his neat finish was ruled out for a subjective offside decision after a lengthy VAR check.

City gave themselves a cushion for the second leg on February 4 as Cherki swept in a low shot to stun the home fans.

Newcastle’s best chances came just after the break when City keeper James Trafford did superbly to push a Yoane Wissa effort against the crossbar and Bruno Guimaraes fired a low shot against the woodwork immediately after.

Eddie Howe’s side claimed Newcastle’s first domestic silverware since 1955 last season when they beat Liverpool at Wembley in March but they now face an uphill battle to reach a second successive final.

Semenyo opened his City account in the 10-1 hammering of Exeter City in the FA Cup on Saturday and is the first City player to score in his first two appearances for the club in all competitions since Emmanuel Adebayor in 2009.

‘SMILE ON MY FACE’

“The whole environment here is perfect. Everyone is confident and wanting achieve the best,” Semenyo, who also scored in his farewell game for Bournemouth last week, said.

“I am picking things up very quickly and enjoying it. I am just taking the confidence I had from Bournemouth here and playing with a smile on my face. I am enjoying every moment.”

Howe was disappointed with the rule change that meant Semenyo was eligible to play in the competition despite also featuring for Bournemouth in the second round in August and his fears were justified as the winger tormented his side.

Things might have been different for Newcastle had Wissa not blazed an early chance over the crossbar.

“Looking back with hindsight, you’d say that’s potentially a big turning point,” Howe said of the chance. “We wanted to get the crowd fully into the match.”

City grew in stature and after surviving a couple of scares at the start of the second half they took control.

Semenyo showed a goal sniffer’s instinct to get on the end of Doku’s cross after it was flicked on by Bernardo Silva.

The Ghanaian was celebrating again when he found the net by flicking in a corner but after nearly six minutes of VAR checks and a pitch-side check, the goal was disallowed because Erling Haaland was deemed to be interfering with play and in a fractionally offside position.

“Four officials and VAR were not able to take the decision, they had to go to the referee,” Guardiola said. “We know how it works and that will make us stronger.”

It was at the end of nine minutes of stoppage time, most of it added on for the VAR decision, that Cherki slotted in from a low cut-back from the left by Rayan Ait Nouri to put City on course for their first final in the competition since 2021.

Arsenal take on Chelsea in the first leg of the other semi-final on Wednesday.