Manchester City, having stifled Newcastle's comeback, will face Arsenal in the League Cup final.

MANCHESTER, THURSDAY — On paper, Newcastle United still has a strong chance of overturning a two-goal deficit against Manchester City in the second semifinal of the English League Cup at the Etihad Stadium, Thursday (5/2/2026) early morning WIB. City's hunger ultimately subdued Newcastle's revival plans. City led 3-1 (5-1 on aggregate) and advanced to the final to face Arsenal.

Thanks to a 2-0 victory in the first semifinal at Newcastle's home ground, a draw would be more than enough to secure City's place in the final. However, City refused to play passively in front of their own supporters. The team, managed by Pep Guardiola, opted to play aggressively from the start to prevent any attempts at a comeback from Newcastle.

Guardiola knows that playing it safe to maintain an advantage is not a wise approach when facing a team like Newcastle. This is because if Newcastle is given even one opportunity to score quickly, their chances of turning the situation around increase significantly. Therefore, remaining aggressive in attack to widen the gap remains the most realistic option for City.

From the start of the match, City players dictated the game with short passes from foot to foot. Newcastle, attempting to build attacks from the back, was not given the opportunity to move the ball past the halfway line. When Newcastle successfully regained possession, City players quickly moved to close down spaces to reclaim the ball.

Thanks to intense pressure from the start, City successfully took the lead first through Omar Marmoush. The aggressiveness of City's attack forced Newcastle defender Dan Burn to make a less than clean tackle. Burn's clearance hit Marmoush and soared over goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, who could only stand in astonishment as his goal was breached with ease.

Despite implementing a 3-4-3 formation that shifts to a 5-4-1 when defending, Newcastle still could not contain City's maneuvers from the flanks. The three-defender formation that transforms into five defenders during defense aims to mitigate attacking efforts from the wings. However, Antoine Semenyo and Rayan Ait Nouri consistently managed to create threats.

In a continuously pressured situation, the second goal for City seemed only a matter of time. Indeed, Marmoush succeeded in doubling his team's advantage with a header from close range.

The strategy to close off the progression of City's wing attacks was unsuccessful. Semenyo was still too strong to be stopped. The new City player was able to deliver a cross that was not perfectly cleared by Kieran Trippier. The ball, which soared, was easily headed in by Marmoush without significant interference from the Newcastle players.

"We demonstrated a very good mentality. We united as a team, from the first minute we were very focused on the task. We showed our mentality and spirit and are very happy to have reached the final," said Marmoush as quoted by Sky Sports.

Newcastle's revival plan has become increasingly unclear after City extended the lead again thanks to a goal from Tijjani Reijnders. Being two goals behind, or four goals on aggregate, somewhat undermines the morale of the Newcastle players.

In that situation, "The Magpies" defense structure became disorganized. The movement of one City player was enough to draw two to three Newcastle players. This is what allowed Reijnders to go unmarked and calmly take a low shot after receiving a well-placed pass from Semenyo.

"I was somewhat surprised because there was so much space between the defense line (of Newcastle). With players like Phil Foden and myself, when we get that space, we can attack very quickly," said Reijnders.

After the break, the Newcastle players were able to perform with greater composure. They also played better, starting to trouble City's defense.

Newcastle coach Eddie Howe's decision to include Anthony Elanga and Yoane Wissa proved to be a stroke of genius. The presence of these two naturally attacking players enhanced Newcastle's offensive sharpness.

Elanga briefly revived Newcastle's hopes with his goal in the 63rd minute. The Swedish passport holder weaved through the City penalty area and unleashed a close-range shot that James Trafford was unable to block.

Instead of strengthening the defense after conceding a goal, Pep became even more ambitious to score an equalizer. Pep decided to play Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki, who have attacking instincts. To anticipate Newcastle's counterattacks, Pep substituted left-back Nico O'Reilly with Rodri. The duo of Rodri and Nico Gonzalez was tasked with protecting City's three defenders.

The strategy successfully prevented Newcastle from scoring additional goals. Although they performed better compared to the first half, City managed to hold Newcastle from creating more dangerous opportunities.

Throughout the second half, Newcastle was only able to create two accurate shots. The touches of Newcastle players in the opponent's penalty area were only eight, fewer than City, which remained aggressive with 12 touches.

The score of 3-1 or 5-1 on aggregate for City's advantage remained until the end of the match. Thanks to this victory, City will challenge Arsenal in the final at Wembley Stadium, London, on March 23.