Manchester City took a strong step towards the EFL Cup final with a 2-0 first-leg win over Newcastle United, as Antoine Semenyo continued a sharp start at the club and Rayan Cherki added a late second.
Newcastle, the holders, now face a challenging second leg at Etihad Stadium on February 4.
Semenyo, who had already scored on debut in the FA Cup against Exeter City, struck again to open the scoring at St James’ Park and briefly thought a second goal would follow. However, a clever backheel finish was later cancelled after a VAR check for offside involvement by Erling Haaland.
The opening 45 minutes brought limited clear chances, yet Newcastle threatened first. Yoane Wissa broke through in the fifth minute and went one-on-one with James Trafford. The forward had time to pick his spot, but the rising effort cleared the bar, letting City escape an early scare.
Newcastle restarted with purpose and almost took control soon after half-time. Wissa’s looping header was pushed onto the crossbar by Trafford, and Bruno Guimaraes then curled a low strike against the left post. Those missed opportunities proved costly when Jeremy Doku’s deflected cross reached Semenyo, who reacted quickly to drive in from close range.
City thought the tie was almost settled when Semenyo flicked Tijjani Reijnders’ corner beyond Nick Pope with an improvised backheel. The celebrations ended when VAR ruled Haaland had interfered with Malick Thiaw from an offside position. Newcastle responded with pressure, as Sven Botman had a header cleared off the line, Sandro Tonali dragged a shot wide, and Nick Woltemade failed to convert a diving header, before Cherki finished a neat one-two with the returning Rayan Ait-Nouri to make it 2-0.
The numbers underline Semenyo’s quick impact at Manchester City under Pep Guardiola. The forward is the first player to score in both of the first two City appearances in all competitions since Emmanuel Adebayor managed the feat in August 2009, highlighting how swiftly Semenyo has settled into the side.
Semenyo’s wider scoring record this season also stands out. Since the Club World Cup, only Haaland, with 26 goals, and Igor Thiago, with 17, have more goals among Premier League players in all competitions than Semenyo’s total of 12. That output reflects consistent end product across different tournaments.
The overall shot and xG data shows Newcastle stayed competitive despite the scoreline. The hosts largely matched Manchester City for attempts and threatened the frame of the goal twice, yet City produced the clearer opportunities and finished more clinically.
Newcastle more than matched their opponents, having 10 shots to the visitors’ 11, with the Citizens having four on target to their three. The Magpies also hit the woodwork twice and accumulated just 0.64 expected goals (xG), though, with City generating 2.01.
The full-time mood at Manchester City was summed up by a simple post on social media after the win, reflecting the advantage secured before the return meeting in Manchester.
We take a lead into the second leg 0-2 @okx pic.twitter.com/uWmmQ48dFFManchester City (@ManCity) January 13, 2026
Across the first leg, Newcastle matched Manchester City in intensity and volume of shots, but City’s sharper finishing from Semenyo and Cherki created a two-goal cushion. Eddie Howe’s team must now convert territorial pressure into goals at Etihad Stadium on February 4 to keep the EFL Cup defence alive.
