League Cup: Manchester City and Cherki in the Semifinals, Newcastle Too

League Cup: Manchester City and Cherki reach the semifinals, Newcastle as well

On Wednesday, Manchester City, thanks to a stunning goal from Rayan Cherki, defeated Brentford 2-0 and qualified for the semifinals of the English League Cup, where they will face the reigning champions, Newcastle.

The "Magpies" secured their place in the last four by beating Fulham with a header from 19-year-old Lewis Miley, off a corner kick in stoppage time (90+2, 2-1).

The other semifinal will see Chelsea take on the winner of the final quarter-final, scheduled for December 23 between Arsenal and Crystal Palace.

Manchester City had not reached this stage of the competition since the 2020-2021 season, the year Pep Guardiola won his fourth consecutive League Cup title.

The Spanish coach started with only four of the regulars from the weekend, including Cherki, who opened the scoring with a delightful sequence just outside the penalty area (32nd minute, 1-0).

The former Lyon player controlled a rebound from the defense with his chest, made a left-footed cut to evade an opponent, and unleashed a powerful and precise right-footed shot near the top corner.

The 22-year-old forward, named man of the match, celebrated his goal by mimicking Erling Haaland's celebrations (who remained on the bench), first in robot mode and then in zen meditation.

The Citizens extended their lead in the second half with a counterattack, following a shot from Savinho deflected by Kristoffer Ajer (67th minute, 2-0).

Newcastle's victory took longer to materialize, also in front of their supporters. The Magpies started strong with Yoane Wissa, making his first start since his summer transfer from Brentford (10th minute, 1-0). However, they couldn't hold the lead for long: just six minutes later, Sasa Lukic equalized with a header (16th minute, 1-1).

Results and schedule for the quarter-finals of the English League Cup:

Tuesday, December 16:

Cardiff City (D3) - (+) Chelsea 1 - 3

Wednesday, December 17:

(+) Manchester City – Brentford 2 - 0

(+) Newcastle – Fulham 2 - 1

Tuesday, December 23:

(9:00 PM) Arsenal - Crystal Palace

Clubs marked with a (+) have qualified for the next round.

Semifinal matchups (in two legs):

Chelsea - Arsenal or Crystal Palace

Newcastle - Manchester City