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Jamie Jackson was at the Etihad tonight. Here\u2019s his report \u2026<\/p>\n
\u2026 and in some late breaking news, Chris Paraskevas has managed to source his aforementioned bacon-and-egg roll. \u201cGot it! Not a bad way to commiserate a defeat.\u201d Thanks for reading this MBM.<\/p>\n
Chris Paraskevas\u2019s Bacon and Egg Roll Photograph: Chris ParaskevasShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a018.28 EST<\/p>\n Eddie Howe\u2019s turn to chat to Sky. \u201cIt was the start we didn\u2019t want \u2026 then Joe Willock had a good chance and we didn\u2019t take the opportunity \u2026 it took the game away from us \u2026 the first half was really difficult, the second half the lads did really well \u2026 in both games we are really frustrated we scored only one goal \u2026 on the balance of opportunities \u2026 Trafford made some good saves \u2026 we were guilty of missing some good opportunities \u2026 it could have been very different but we have to accept the reality \u2026 when you play as we do, it\u2019s a one-v-one game \u2026 when you\u2019re taking it to the highest level it\u2019s going to cost you \u2026 we were letting runners go \u2026 losing too many duels \u2026 we had to readjust and were better, but we\u2019re disappointed we couldn\u2019t execute our style of play \u2026 [in the second half] we had new energy and were better for it \u2026 a more simple plan \u2026 but I\u2019m disappointed we had to do that \u2026 we were trying to attack, not in a cavalier way, that\u2019s what it may seem like from the outside but I\u2019d rather lose the game doing that than being passive and wasting an opportunity \u2026 it didn\u2019t happen for us but it wasn\u2019t for the want of trying.\u201d<\/p>\n He also reports that Anthony Gordon has a hamstring problem. \u201cI don\u2019t think it looks too bad but it was enough for him to come off.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Pep Guardiola, who is through to his fifth League Cup final, talks to Sky. \u201cWith Newcastle you are never in control completely \u2026 a lot of one against one exchanges \u2026 a Champions League team \u2026 an incredible intense game \u2026 5-1 aggregate is unbelievable \u2026 at the end of March we go to Wembley again \u2026 travel to London \u2026 [Arsenal] will wait for us there, we have to travel from the north! \u2026 [Omar Marmoush\u2019s] movement is really top \u2026 I am very pleased for him \u2026 we started really well \u2026 James [Trafford] is a top-class keeper \u2026 he will have an incredible future \u2026 he is going to play his first final \u2026 it would be good for most of [the players] \u2026 you have to live the experience \u2026 our first title in our era was the Carabao Cup<\/a> nine years ago \u2026 when you win something it helps to win more \u2026 it is a pleasure to play against Arsenal \u2026 the best team right now in Europe, maybe the world \u2026 hopefully we can convince the Carabao Cup that Marc [Guehi] can play the final \u2026 I don\u2019t understand why he cannot play the final \u2026 hopefully we make a letter \u2026 you buy a player for a lot of money and he is not able to play for a rule I don\u2019t understand \u2026 hopefully they can change it.\u201d<\/p>\n (Guehi was not registered for his new club before the first leg of the semi-final, so he\u2019s not eligible going forward.)<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.33 EST<\/p>\n Tijjani Reijnders speaks to Sky. \u201cWe were eager to go to the final \u2026 we showed that from the first minute \u2026 an amazing performance \u2026 despite the goal against us, we controlled the game \u2026 a better performance \u2026 from that we can build \u2026 everyone was sharp from the beginning \u2026 we weren\u2019t as sloppy as the previous games \u2026 I was surprised there was so much space between the lines \u2026 we could attack very quick \u2026 I play football because I want to win trophies \u2026 I am going to Wembley, my first time there \u2026 we want to win the cup \u2026 [the final] will be a tough match \u2026 we will be very hungry \u2026 [Arsenal] are a really balanced team \u2026 we have to analyse and see where we can gain our strength to win.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Today\u2019s post-match postbag is concerned with the big issues. \u201cRichard Hirst (88 min) is a true humanitarian. The thought of missing this BAER is the stuff of nightmares. I\u2019m outta here!\u201d \u2013 Chris Paraskevas<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Tonight\u2019s xG, for those so inclined: Manchester City 2.07, Newcastle United<\/a> 1.33. But xG isn\u2019t the be-all and end-all, so how about the Big Chances metric? City 5, Newcastle 4. It was good fun.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Manchester City\u2019s two-goal hero Omar Marmoush talks to Sky Sports. \u201cWe showed a very good mentality \u2026 together as a team for the very first minute \u2026 focus \u2026 we are very happy to make the final \u2026 I am very happy to score two goals [his xG was 0.9] \u2026 I wish I could get a hat-trick today \u2026 hopefully we can win the final \u2026 we are here to win trophies \u2026 win silverware \u2026 hopefully we can do it for the new players.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Eddie Howe congratulates Pep Guardiola. Pep Guardiola commiserates with Eddie Howe. The City boss goes off to celebrate, while his Newcastle counterpart is a study in frustration and misery. The holders are out. In truth, Howe\u2019s team were very much second best over the two-legged semi, and yet they had enough chances tonight \u2013 enough really good chances \u2013 to have made the tie more of a contest. So they\u2019ll head back north with a few what-ifs. But City were so clinical in that first half, with Omar Marmoush thoroughly deserving of his player-of-the-match reward. It\u2019s going to be Master versus Apprentice in the 22 March final, as Pep takes on Mikel Arteta. Technical-area shenanigans ahoy!<\/p>\n Share<\/a>FULL TIME: Manchester City 3-1 Newcastle United (agg: 5-1)<\/p>\n Manchester City book a place against Arsenal in the 2026 League Cup final next month! A repeat of the 2018 final.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 90 min +1: Elanga runs purposefully down the inside-right channel. He\u2019s dragged back by Rodri, who goes into the book. That\u2019s taken Rodri, who really should have picked up a second yellow at Spurs last weekend, just 20 minutes. He\u2019s been a little off the pace since coming back. Anyway, nothing comes of the resulting free kick.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 90 min: There will be two additional minutes.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 89 min: Tonali lashes a shot straight at Trafford. He\u2019s been busy this evening as well. Tonight\u2019s scoreline tells a story, but there are others. There I am with the parallel universes again. Sorry Chris.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 88 min: Cherki bombs down the inside-right channel and takes a whack from distance. Blocked. \u201cI hope you realise that in your alternative universe of many Newcastle goals you\u2019re condemning Chris to missing his bacon and egg roll and maybe even getting the sack,\u201d tut-tuts Richard Hirst. \u201cYou need to be careful when playing with other people\u2019s lives.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 87 min: The resulting corner is worked back to Rodri, whose steer towards the bottom right is parried then snaffled by Ramsdale, who has been busy of late.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 86 min: Cherki dribbles hard, in from the right, and lays off to Haaland, who attempts to force a shot into the bottom right. Ramsdale turns around the post once more.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 85 min: Ait-Nouri slaloms down the left \u2013 whipping up a little Winter Olympics fever along the way \u2013 and is then bundled over by Murphy. Cherki tries to catch Ramsdale out with a cheeky curler towards the bottom left, but the keeper reads the intention and claims. Haaland was hovering in case of any spill.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 84 min: Before the resulting corner can be taken, Lewis comes on for Gonzalez, City\u2019s last swap of the night. Then the corner happens, to little effect.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 83 min: \u2026 and as though to illustrate that further, Cherki strokes a defence-splitter down the middle for Haaland, who takes a touch to enter the box before thrashing a low shot towards the bottom right. Ramsdale does extremely well to extend and tip around the post.<\/p>\n Erling Haaland has his effort well saved by Aaron Ramsdale. Photograph: Martin Rickett\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.48 EST<\/p>\n 82 min: A free kick for Newcastle on halfway, to the left of the centre circle. Tonali launches it long. City allow it to bounce through a crowded bot to Elanga, on the right-hand side of the six-yard box. Elanga guides the ball across the face of goal, but Wissa can\u2019t quite connect with his lunge. Newcastle have had several big chances tonight. It\u2019s been such a weird game in that respect.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 80 min: Haaland turns into a little space on the edge of the Newcastle D. He\u2019s entitled to have a go himself, but selflessly slips a pass to his mate Marmoush, coming in from the left. Marmoush leans back and hoicks over the bar. That hat-trick remains elusive.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 78 min: Gonzalez, in the process of being elegantly spun by Tonali, takes a huge handful of his opponent\u2019s shirt and goes into the book.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 76 min: Osula comes on for Trippier, Newcastle\u2019s last change of the evening.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 75 min: \u2026 so having said that, Ramsey is robbed by Gonzalez, 30 yards out, after faffing around in the distracted style. Gonzalez feeds Marmoush, who slots into the bottom left from the edge of the box. But he\u2019s denied his hat-trick, the whistle having gone rather generously for the initial challenge.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 74 min: Now Barnes has a shot from distance blocked. Newcastle have had six shots to City\u2019s one in this second half. It\u2019s an impressive response, given their sorry position at the break.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 72 min: Newcastle launch yet another counter, Murphy curling a pass down the left to look for Elanga, who can\u2019t reach the ball before Khusanov hacks behind for a corner. But the flag pops up for offside again. Even so, City haven\u2019t looked particularly secure at the back. Newcastle have had their chances, and worked some decent situations.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 71 min: City make a triple change, taking off O\u2019Reilly, Semenyo and Foden and sending on Rodri, Cherki and Haaland.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 70 min: Foden tries to tee up Semenyo but over-elaborates, allowing Burn to start a counter. Barnes scampers down the left and crosses low for Elanga, who opens his body and \u2026 slices wide right. He had to score. He was onside as well. Huge miss.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 68 min: Newcastle have the ball in the net again! But this one won\u2019t count. Elanga slips Wissa clear down the right. Wissa crosses low for Barnes, who uses Nunes as a shield before curling around the defender and into the bottom right. Cute finish, but he knows Wissa was miles offside. The flag goes up.<\/p>\n Harvey Barnes has the ball in the net but offside, alas. Photograph: Conor Molloy\/ProSports\/ShutterstockShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.38 EST<\/p>\n 66 min: The Toon fans are in good voice, now serenading their goalscoring hero Elanga. \u201cPaul Cumine\u2019s post at 55 mins is quite true this summer,\u201d begins Matthew Guite, by way of countering the party mood. \u201cTop players I think want to win things as they only ever get a few chances. And they want to get paid an enormous amount of money. Probably more than winning things. Unfortunately we fail on both fronts.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 64 min: Jacob Murphy drives down the left in search of another consolation, and is harshly penalised for brushing Nunes aside. He had men in the middle free, waiting for a simple cutback, too.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>GOAL! Manchester City 3-1 Newcastle United (Elanga 62); agg 5-1<\/p>\n Elanga jinks in from the right, driving at O\u2019Reilly, sending the defender slipping and spinning before curling wonderfully across Trafford and into the bottom left. What a goal, even if it\u2019ll count for nix. It is Newcastle\u2019s first goal here since 2018, mind, and that\u2019s got to count for something. How to slake a thirst in style.<\/p>\n Anthony Elanga pulls one back for Newcastle. Photograph: Matt West\/ShutterstockShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.28 EST<\/p>\n 61 min: The travelling Newcastle fans make a point of vocally backing their manager Eddie Howe. To be fair, he is the first manager to win a trophy for the club since Joe Harvey, a man born in 1918. He\u2019s earned a fair bit of slack.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 59 min: City reestablish some order with a little of that famous midfield ball-hogging.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 57 min: Alleyne clumsily miscontrols in his own box and goes down in a tangle with Wissa, who goes over, a light tug on the front of his shirt. Wissa wants a penalty, but isn\u2019t getting one. City go up the other end through Marmoush, who dances his way into the Toon area from the left and cuts back for Reijnders. It should be the Dutch midfielder\u2019s second goal of the evening, but he steers wide left under no pressure whatsoever.<\/p>\n Tijjani Reijnders misses great chance to make it 4-0. Photograph: Paul Currie\/ShutterstockShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.27 EST<\/p>\n 55 min: Turns out Reijnders was after a penalty for Botman easing him off the ball back then. Nope. Anyway, about that aforementioned parallel universe, here\u2019s Paul Cumine: \u201cNewcastle would have signed a combo of the following: Sesko, Ekitike, Delap, Cunha, Kudus, Pedro, Mbeumo, Guehi and Trafford. The fact they failed speaks volumes on the perception of the club by top-tier professionals.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 53 min: \u2026 and now Reijnders powers his way down the inside-left channel but can\u2019t quite get the better of Botman, who is stuck to his side and shepherds the ball back to Ramsdale. Newcastle have been searching for a consolation; City don\u2019t appear to have declared yet, either. It doesn\u2019t feel like the scoring is over.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 52 min: Marmoush dribbles down the right but what comes next is neither shot nor cross, and rolls harmlessly through the Newcastle box.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 51 min: Elanga is sent scampering down the right. He\u2019s got Barnes free in the middle, but takes too many touches before eventually crossing and Alleyene gets back to block. Nothing comes of the resulting corner. Newcastle, for all they\u2019ve been blown out of the water on the scoreboard, will leave this stadium tonight with quite a few what-ifs.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 49 min: Alleyne embarks on a Beckenbaueresque stride from the back to the Newcastle box. He lays off to Marmoush, who thinks about a curler towards the top right, but decides against it. The move fizzles out.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 47 min: Newcastle have now had four very presentable chances to score. Somewhere, in a parallel universe, etc.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 45 min 28 sec: Khusanov\u2019s sloppy pass across his own back line allows Wissa to tear free down the inside-left channel. The defender races back to cause Wissa enough nibble-from-behind concern to screw his lobbed effort wide left.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n City get the second half started. Newcastle have made three half-time changes, sending on Wissa, Murphy and Elanga for Woltemade, Willock and Hall. The hosts meanwhile have switched out Eke for Alleyne.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Half-time postbag. \u201cI like the strategy of playing completely without a midfield in this game: it\u2019s really opened things up nicely (for an early breakfast this morning)\u201d \u2013 Chris Paraskevas<\/p>\n \u201cAt this point it\u2019s not even about Howe anymore, but simply \u2018why?\u2019\u201d \u2013 Peter Oh<\/p>\n \u201cWhat more has to happen for Howe to be fired?\u201d \u2013 Jeff Sax<\/p>\n \u201cTell me Ma, me Ma \/ I will be home for tea \/ Not going to Wemberlee \/ Tell me Ma, me Ma\u201d \u2013 John, Ithaca, NY<\/p>\n \u201cAs a Sunderland fan I\u2019m reminded of Oscar Wilde\u2019s comment about Little Nell in the Old Curiosity Shop\u201d \u2013 Steve Goldsmith<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Half-time advertising break. Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now!<\/a><\/p>\n Share<\/a>HALF TIME: Manchester City 3-0 Newcastle United (agg: 5-0)<\/p>\n City are going to Wembley unless something positively psychedelic happens in the next hour. They\u2019re now 40-3 up in the last 11-and-a-half matches here against Newcastle.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 45 min +3: From the resulting corner, Trippier crosses from the right. The ball hits Nunes on his forearm, which the defender was holding up, though not far from his body. Another one to file under Seen Them Given, but the fact Nunes was also turning his back means VAR isn\u2019t interested. No lifeline for Newcastle.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 45 min +2: Tonali dribbles down the right touchline and is upended by Ait-Nouri. Everyone lines up on the edge of the City box to wait for Trippier\u2019s free kick. In it comes. Botman meets it with a header towards the top right. Trafford paws it away for a corner. That\u2019s his third big save of the evening. For all City\u2019s dominance, this could easily be 3-3 on the night.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 45 min: There will be an additional four first-half minutes. Bad news for Newcastle, who are already dreaming of hearing the full-time whistle.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 44 min: Gordon is able to wander off without a significant limp, but a limp nonetheless. He\u2019s replaced by Barnes, who scored both goals in Newcastle\u2019s 2-1 Premier League win last November.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 42 min: Gonzalez takes a whack from distance. Ramsdale covers. Newcastle launch a counter, but Gordon goes down. He feels his hamstring and shakes his head. Foden comes over to check on his England colleague, and Gordon sighs the bad news. As if this half hasn\u2019t been painful enough for the holders.<\/p>\n Anthony Gordon goes down with a hamstring injury. Photograph: Martin Rickett\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.48 EST<\/p>\n 40 min: Newcastle enjoy, if that\u2019s the correct word, some sterile possession at the back. Just to stop the ship from listing.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 38 min: \u2026 as do Newcastle, but this corner comes to nothing. \u201cIt\u2019s not all bad news, Scott,\u201d begins Chris Paraskevas of work-breakfast-social fame. \u201cThere\u2019s a world class BAER (Bacon and Egg Roll) on offer at this morning\u2019s work catch-up. This particular BAER is expensively assembled and priced, but unlike this current Newcastle squad, it will not fold under pressure and I know I\u2019ll enjoy consuming it.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 37 min: Hall ships possession cheaply, and Semenyo is able to release Reijnders into the box on the right. For a second it looks as though Reijnders has run the ball out for a goal kick, but he whips a shot towards the near post in time. The ball clanks Ramsdale in the chest, and out for a corner. That could easily have pinged into the goal. Ramsdale needs a minute to catch his breath.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 35 min: Semenyo dribbles into the Newcastle box from the right and spins. Burn clips him from behind. No penalty, for some reason. You\u2019ve seen them given for so much less. Had there not been five goals in this tie, that might have gone down as a moment of controversy.<\/p>\n