League Cup Archives

Manchester City brush aside Newcastle to reach League Cup final

Manchester City will face Arsenal in the League Cup final after ending Newcastle’s reign as holders with a first-half blitz in their 3-1 victory on Wednesday.

Pep Guardiola’s side were already in pole position after winning the semi-final first leg on Tyneside in January and they finished the job in ruthless fashion at the Etihad Stadium.

Omar Marmoush struck twice in the first half of the second leg before Tijjani Reijnders put the result beyond doubt.

Anthony Elanga reduced the deficit after the interval, but City’s 5-1 aggregate win sent them back to the League Cup showpiece for the first time since 2021.

City’s final date with Arsenal is set for March 22 at Wembley after the Premier League leaders knocked out Chelsea on Tuesday.

Reaching the final was a welcome tonic for Guardiola following the frustration of blowing a two-goal lead in a 2-2 draw at Tottenham on Sunday that delivered a major blow to their title challenge.

With a crucial trip to Liverpool looming this weekend, City trail Arsenal by six points in the Premier League title race.

The League Cup was the first silverware of Guardiola’s City reign when they beat Arsenal in the 2018 final, with current Gunners boss Mikel Arteta then working as the Spaniard’s assistant.

City went on to win the competition for the following three years, but haven’t lifted the League Cup since 2021.

“We will travel to London again, they will wait for us there. They never travel to the north (for finals) but I am really happy to be back. Five (League Cup) finals in 10 years is a big milestone,” Guardiola said.

“It will be good. You have to live this experience. The first title we won here was in the League Cup.

“When you win something, it helps to win more. It’s a pleasure to play against Arsenal, the best team right now in Europe and maybe the world.”

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe added: “Really annoyed with the first half display. We pride ourselves on being really organised and tactically we want to be able to handle any problem the opposition gives us.

“That first half we weren’t good enough individually and our duels were off and it gave us huge problems.”

Guardiola used sarcasm and statistics this week to defend City against claims the club’s success has been due to the financial muscle of their Abu Dhabi-based owners.

The City manager pointed out six English clubs have spent more than his side over the past five years, but he knows he will never win over the critics.

Guardiola’s only way to silence the outside noise — and mounting suggestions that City are a team in decline — is with silverware.

And after finishing last season without a trophy for the first time in eight years, Guardiola would love to end City’s barren spell at Arsenal’s expense.

Marmoush put City ahead with a stroke of luck in the seventh minute.

He raced into the Newcastle penalty area and when Dan Burn made a last-ditch tackle, the ball bounced off the Egypt forward and looped into the net.

James Trafford preserved City’s lead, saving from Joe Willock and Anthony Gordon in quick succession.

Marmoush struck for the second time in the 29th minute, heading home from virtually on the goal-line after Kieran Trippier made a hash of clearing Antoine Semenyo’s cross.

That was the culmination of an incisive City counter-attack and they pulled Newcastle apart again with another rapid raid in the 32nd minute.

Reijnders led the break, picking out Semenyo and racing into the area to finish the Ghanaian’s return pass with a clinical low drive from 12 yards.

City barely got out of first gear in the second half and Elanga got one back in the 62nd minute, curling into the far corner after slaloming through the defence.

READ: Pakistan PM Shehbaz reaffirms decision to boycott India clash

Arsenal sink Chelsea to reach League Cup final

Arsenal reached the League Cup final for the first time in eight years as Kai Havertz sealed a 1-0 win against Chelsea in the semi-final second leg on Tuesday.

Mikel Arteta’s side had put themselves in pole position in the first leg, and Havertz came off the bench to finish the 4-2 aggregate victory in the closing moments at the Emirates Stadium.

It was a cathartic triumph for the Gunners, who had lost their previous four semi-finals in the 2025 Champions League and League Cup, the 2022 League Cup and the 2021 Europa League.

In their first final for six years, Arsenal will face Manchester City or Newcastle at Wembley on March 22.

City hold a 2-0 lead over Newcastle ahead of Wednesday’s second leg at the Etihad Stadium.

Arsenal haven’t won the League Cup since 1993, losing in their last three final appearances.

Now they have the chance to end that drought by winning the club’s first trophy since the 2020 FA Cup.

That remains the sole silverware won by Arteta since he was hired in December 2019.

“We knew it was going to be a real battle out there. That resilience, that clarity to understand what kind of game we had to play, we did so well,” Arteta said.

“There was a special atmosphere inside our stadium. It makes such a difference. We’ve been waiting a few years to get into this position and we’re certainly going to enjoy it.”

It is shaping up to be a memorable season for Arsenal, who are six points clear at the top of the Premier League and reached the Champions League last 16 by winning all eight of their group matches.

Despite their success, Arsenal have attracted criticism for their reliance on goals from corners and set-pieces.

Arteta launched a passionate defence of Arsenal’s style of play this week, revealing he has a “massive book of people” who feel his side are the “most exciting in Europe”.

Tuesday’s war of attrition will hardly silence Arsenal’s critics, but Arteta won’t care about that after leading his team to Wembley.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior had won six of his seven matches in all competitions since arriving from Strasbourg to replace Enzo Maresca.

But Rosenior was unable to solve his Arsenal conundrum, with the Gunners handing him the only two defeats of his brief reign.

“Arsenal know they were in a game, over both ties. We dominated the areas we wanted to in the second half, but we didn’t find that quality moment,” Rosenior said.

“It’s painful to lose. We just need to keep making improvements, which I’m seeing from the first leg to the second.”

Without captain Martin Odegaard, sidelined by a muscle problem, and winger Bukayo Saka, who was injured in the pre-match warm-up at Leeds on Saturday, Arsenal weren’t at their best but still ground out the win.

Rosenior’s switch to a three-man central defence allowed Chelsea to stifle Arsenal in a scrappy first half.

The Gunners briefly shook off their shackles as Piero Hincapie’s curler from just inside the area was palmed away by Robert Sanchez.

It rained so heavily in the first half that Rosenior had to take off his soaked glasses to see what was happening.

Squinting through the squall offered Rosenior an alarming view as Malo Gusto’s misjudgement let in Gabriel Martinelli before the Chelsea defender scrambled back to block the shot.

It took 43 minutes for Chelsea to muster a shot on target when Enzo Fernandez’s long-range blast was punched clear by Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Chelsea needed to push for a goal, and Rosenior sent on Cole Palmer and Estevao Willian after an hour, ditching his back three.

Estevao immediately set up Fernandez for a curler that flashed over, but Chelsea’s threat petered out.

Havertz delivered the knockout blow in the final seconds of stoppage-time, rounding Sanchez to slot into the empty net after Chelsea were caught on the counter.

READ: England clean sweep Sri Lanka to give T20 World Cup warning

Arteta hints at Gabriel Jesus return ahead of League Cup clash

Mikel Arteta has hinted that he is ready to hand Gabriel Jesus his first start in nearly a year in Arsenal’s League Cup quarter-final against Crystal Palace on Tuesday.

The Premier League leaders host Oliver Glasner’s side at the Emirates, desperate to end the club’s six-year trophy drought.

Jesus scored a hat-trick in Arsenal’s last-eight win against Palace last season before they fell to Newcastle in the semi-finals.

The Brazil international then spent 11 months on the sidelines after he ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

But, following three substitute appearances, Jesus could be unleashed from the start against Palace, with Arteta set to rotate a side that faces six matches in 20 days.

Arteta said former Manchester City forward Jesus, 28, was ready to start.

“You can see now, not only in games but every day in training how much he wants it so he’s going to deserve a chance soon,” he said.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“It has been a real intense journey. When he joined us he lifted the belief, the spirit and the energy of the team and he gave something very different to what we already had and was very impressive.

“Then he had some very bad injuries, and that hasn’t allowed him to have the consistency we need from a very important player.

“He is back and his fighting spirit, his desire to always prepare in the best way is unbelievable. The team is together now and we need to use it.”

Jesus could take the place of Viktor Gyokeres, who, despite scoring from the penalty spot in Arsenal’s 1-0 win at Everton on Saturday, has not found the back of the net from open play in his past six appearances.

READ: McCullum urges ‘unfinished’ England to show real identity

Holders Manchester United knocked out of League Cup 3-0 by Newcastle

Manchester United’s defence of the League Cup came to a limp end in a 3-0 home defeat by Newcastle on Wednesday as Arsenal were well-beaten 3-1 at West Ham.

In a repeat of last year’s League Cup final, which Erik ten Hag’s men won 2-0, both managers named much-changed sides at Old Trafford.

But it was Newcastle’s strength in depth that showed as United slumped to an eighth defeat in 15 games in all competitions this season — their worst start to any campaign since 1962/63.

“This is not good enough. We have to take responsibility, I have to take responsibility,” said Ten Hag.

“I feel sorry for the fans, it is below our standards and we have to put it right.”

Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall have had to wait for their chance to shine since signing for the Magpies but the young full-backs played a huge role as Eddie Howe’s side got revenge for defeat at Wembley in February.

Livramento’s surging run set up Miguel Almiron to open the scoring on 28 minutes.

Chelsea loanee Hall then volleyed home a brilliant effort from the edge of the box just eight minutes later.

Joe Willock’s solo run and stunning finish then drew the sting from any chance of a United fightback on the hour mark.

After eliminating both Manchester City and Manchester United from the League Cup, Newcastle’s reward is another tough draw away to Chelsea in the last eight.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was left to rue leaving Declan Rice out on his return to the London Stadium, with the England international alongside Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and William Saliba on a star-studded Gunners’ bench.

Aaron Ramsdale was handed a rare start since he was dropped in favour of David Raya, but it was a night to forget for the Arsenal goalkeeper.

Ben White beat Ramsdale to Jarrod Bowen’s dangerous in-swinging corner but could only head into his own net after 16 minutes.

Mohammed Kudus made it 2-0 in 50 minutes with a brilliant touch and low finish from Nayef Aguerd’s long ball forward.

Rice was then introduced to a mixed response from the West Ham faithful.

But any hope of an Arsenal revival was quashed by Bowen’s strike from the edge of the box that Ramsdale should have done better to keep out.

“I am responsible for that,” said Arteta. “We’re out of the cup and we wanted to play a very different game.”

Odegaard grabbed a consolation deep into stoppage time, but it was too little, too late as Arsenal’s 30-year wait to win the League Cup goes on.

READ: Carlos Alcaraz stunned by qualifier in Paris Masters defeat