Manchester City set for 2026 EFL Cup final against Arsenal after beating Newcastle 3-1: Highlights and goals
Manchester City had little trouble dispatching Newcastle United to secure their ticket to the 2026 EFL Cup final, where they will face Arsenal at Wembley Stadium.
Manchester City showed no mercy to Newcastle at the Etihad Stadium, cruising to a dominant 3-1 victory to clinch their spot in the 2026 EFL Cup final. With the win, the Citizens are now set for a heavyweight showdown against Arsenal at Wembley Stadium for the title on March 22.
Entering the night with a comfortable 2-0 lead from the first leg at St. James’ Park, the home side was determined to end any hopes of a Newcastle comeback early. They found the breakthrough just six minutes in when Omar Marmoush capitalized on a fortunate deflection to put City ahead 1-0.
As the Magpies pushed forward in search of an equalizer, the hosts struck twice in a devastating four-minute span. Marmoush found the net again for his second of the night, followed quickly by a clinical finish from Tijjani Reijnders, extending the lead to 3-0 and effectively ending the series before halftime.
In the second half, Newcastle sought a consolation goal and finally found it through a brilliant individual effort from Anthony Elanga. While the strike provided a moment of quality for the traveling fans, it served only to decorate the scoreline as City’s tactical discipline saw out the remainder of the contest.
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Manchester City reached the EFL Cup final after defeating Newcastle 3-1 and you lived every moment of this game with Bolavip.
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End of the game!
Manchester City defeated Newcastle 3-1 at Etihad Stadium!!
83'- Modification in Manchester City (3-1)
Nico Gonzalez was replaced by Rico Lewis.
82'- What a save by Ramsdale! (3-1)
Erling Haaland unleashed a trademark powerful strike, but Aaron Ramsdale produced an excellent save to deny a fourth goal for Manchester City.
75'- Substitution in Newcastle (3-1)
Kieran Trippier was replaced by William Osula.
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78'- Yellow card in Manchester City (3-1)
Nico Gonzalez received a yellow card.
71'- Three modifications in Manchester City (3-1)
Nico O'Reilly, Antoine Semenyo and Phil Foden were replaced by Rodri, Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki.
69'- What a miss by Elanga! (3-1)
Following a pinpoint delivery into the center of the box from Harvey Barnes, Anthony Elanga somehow failed to convert what looked like a certain second goal for his side!
62'- GOOOAL OF NEWCASTLE!! (3-1)
Anthony Elanga pulls one back for Newcastle!!
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56'- What a miss by Reijnders! (3-0)
Reijnders found himself unmarked and face-to-face with the goal inside the box, but he failed to convert what surely would have been Manchester City’s fourth goal!
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46'- Three modifications in Newcastle (3-0)
Nick Woltemade, Lewis Hall and Joe Wllock were replaced by Jacob Murphy, Yoane Wissa and Anthony Elanga.
46'- Modification in Manchester City (3-0)
Nathan Ake was replaced by Max Alleyne.
The second half is underway!
Manchester City and Newcastle are already playing the second half!
Halftime! (3-0)
The first half at the Etihad Stadium has finished!
45'+2- Great save by Trafford! (3-0)
Botman connected with a powerful header, but Trafford made an outstanding save to tip it over for a corner.
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43'- First modification of the game (3-0)
Newcastle's Anthony Gordon left the field injured to make way for Harvey Barnes.
40'- A mountain too high for Newcastle (3-0)
The outlook has become virtually impossible for Newcastle. If the current scoreline holds, the visitors would need to score five unanswered goals just to force this semifinal into extra time.
32'- GOOOOOAAAAL OF MANCHESTER CITY!! (3-0)
Reijnders extends the lead!!
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28'- GOOOOOAAAAL OF MANCHESTER CITY!! (2-0)
Omar Marmoush strikes again after a great counterattack!!
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27'- First yellow card of the game (1-0)
Matheus Nunes from Manchester City received the first yellow card of the game.
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20'- What a save by Trafford! (1-0)
Anthony Gordon found himself one-on-one with James Trafford, but the Manchester City goalkeeper stood tall to deny the equalizer!
11'- Reijnders almost doubles the lead! (1-0)
Tijjani Reijnders nearly found the back of the net for a second goal, but his clinical strike whistled just wide of Aaron Ramsdale’s post.
6'- GOOOOAAAAAL OF MANCHESTER CITY!!! (1-0)
Omar Marmoush scores the opener of the game!!
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GAME ON!
The game between Manchester City and Newcastle is underway!
Players are on the pitch!
Players from both teams are on the pitch. Everything is ready for the start of the match!
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Newcastle face a must-win scenario
Newcastle find themselves in a win at all costs situation if they hope to punch their ticket to Wembley Stadium. However, a simple one-goal victory will not be enough to overcome the 2-0 deficit from the first leg.
The Magpies must win by at least two goals to force the match into extra time, while a victory by three goals or more would see them secure an outright spot in the final and keep their title defense alive.
Both teams doing warm up activities
Players for both sides have taken the field for warmups!
Newcastle aiming for back-to-back glory
Newcastle are looking to replicate their historic success from 2025. In last year's edition of the EFL Cup, the Magpies were crowned champions for the first time in club history after defeating Liverpool2-1 in a thrilling final, with goals coming from Dan Burn and Alexander Isak.
While the Tyneside club faces a monumental task tonight at the Etihad, they will lean on the memories of that triumph to fuel a potential second-leg comeback.
This will be Manchester City starting XI for today's clash: Trafford; Nunes, Khusanov, Ake, Ait-Nouri; Nico Gonzalez; Reijnders, O'Reilly, Semenyo, Foden; Marmoush.
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Today's referees
Tony Harrington has been appointed to officiate the clash between Manchester City and Newcastle. He will be joined on the field by Lee Betts and Sian Massey-Ellis, who are set to serve as the assistant referees.
Full officiating team:
Referee: Tony Harrington (ENG)
Assistant Referee 1: Lee Betts (ENG)
Assistant Referee 2: Sian Massey-Ellis (ENG)
Fourth official: Lewis Smith (ENG)
VAR: Paul Howard (ENG)
Kickoff time and where to watch
Manchester City vs Newcastle will get underway at the Etihad Stadium at 3:00 PM (ET).
Manchester City and Newcastle clash in the 2026 EFL Cup semifinals second leg
Welcome to our live blog of the 2026 EFL Cup semifinals! Manchester City face Newcastle today in the second leg, with both teams looking for a spot in the grand final at Wembley Stadium!
Stay with us for key information and minute-by-minute updates of this exciting game!
Gianni Taina is a bilingual journalist, fluent in English and Spanish, with a specialization in soccer, the NBA, and tennis. He began his professional career in 2020 with Mundo Deportivo US, where he first established himself as a writer. Throughout his career, Gianni has covered major sports events such as the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the NBA Finals, and Grand Slam tournaments like the French Open. His ability to report on real-time events and perform well under pressure has made him a valuable member of a top-tier team of journalists. In 2024, he joined Bolavip US, where he now covers a wide range of sports, including European soccer, MLS, and the NBA.
