The Magpies were blown away by an early Man City onslaught at the Etihad Stadium

Pep Guardiola, head coach of Manchester City, acknowledges the home support after beating Newcastle

Pep Guardiola made a beeline for Eddie Howe at the final whistle as Newcastle United’s Carabao Cup defence ended on a bleak night at the Etihad Stadium.

Guardiola’s compassion for Howe at the end of what was a straightforward rout over two legs for Man City was a nice touch but by that time the home side had taken their foot off the gas with Newcastle 5-0 down on aggregate at the break. Anthony Elanga’s second-half strike at least gave Toon fans – with 5,359 making the journey to the North-West – something to cheer and they could have had one or two more.

But one thing that was clear was that those supporters making a midweek trek to Manchester for a game that was as good as over from the first leg never stopped chanting and showing support for their team. Even by the bitter end, the majority remained in their seats and a chant of ‘we’re gonna win 6-5’ even had City fans applauding.

But the season will now boil down to FA Cup fortune, the Champions League and a possible late scramble for either the Europa League or Conference League. It’s not the end of the world for Newcastle but this was a second brutal beating in the space of a few days after a 4-1 defeat against Liverpool.

Questions are rightly being asked. But here Newcastle failed to start and when they did have the ball they wasted it by blowing some big early chances before the tie slipped away.

Howe lined up his Magpies with a five across the back to give them some protection against City and hoped for a performance similar to the Champions League clash in Paris last week.

But the home side grabbed an early lead and extended their lead on aggregate with their first attack. Omar Marmoush played an extravagant one-two with Phil Foden before storming down the left-hand side and into the box. Dan Burn attempted to sweep the ball clear but only succeeded in clattering the ball off Marmoush, and the ball spun over Aaron Ramsdale and into the net with just seven minutes gone.

Newcastle should have been level on the night when Anthony Gordon picked out Joe Willock on the break but with only James Trafford to beat, the Toon midfielder failed to round the advancing keeper and the ex-Burnley man made a key save.

On 12 minutes, Tijjani Reijnders broke through and sent an effort narrowly wide with an opening that could have well and truly hammered the final nail in the coffin at the Etihad Stadium. On 21 minutes, Willock flicked on for Gordon but his shot on the left-hand side of the penalty area was blocked by Trafford and another chance went begging.

There was another glimpse of goal for Newcastle when Lewis Hall nicked the ball from Matheus Nunes before scarpering towards goal with the City star pulling him back and earning a yellow card on 28 minutes. Kieran Trippier stepped up from 25 yards but it was gathered by Trafford.

And moments later City turned another screw to make it 4-0 on aggregate. Trafford rolled it out quickly and City attacked down the left-hand side before Antoine Semenyo’s cross was looped into the air by a failed Trippier clearance and Marmoush pounced for his second on 29 minutes.

There were hopes of a brief reprieve for a possible offside, but the VAR team awarded the goal.

City showed no mercy on Newcastle moments later as they went even further ahead on 32 minutes. Reijnders made a driving run through the middle before finding Semenyo. The ex-Bournemouth man saw Burn knock the ball back into the path of the Dutchman who swept home a third on the night.

Reijnders fired at goal again on 38 minutes but Ramsdale made a save at his front post. However, the night turned even worse for Howe as Gordon limped off with what looked to be a hamstring strain, replaced by Harvey Barnes.

In the first half stoppage time, Trippier curled in a free-kick for Sven Botman, who forced a save from Trafford.

Howe tried to freshen things up for his side by bringing on three substitutions with Yoane Wissa, Jacob Murphy and Anthony Elanga brought on for mission impossible. Wissa made some early impact but fired wide after getting slipped in the opening seconds after the break.

Three minutes before the hour mark Max Alleyne lost possession in a battle with Wissa and appeared to haul him back. But after a VAR check, the officials indicated there was no penalty on offer for the visitors.

The search for a consolation went on with Botman flicking on for Thiaw on the hour but his effort flashing wide of the post. However, seconds later Newcastle added some respectability to the scoreboard on the night.

Thiaw rolled it down the right for Elanga who shimmied past three defenders and into the box before slamming it past Trafford to make it 3-1 on the evening. After months of frustration, Elanga squeezed past Reijnders and Rayan Ait-Nouri before lashing home.

Barnes made a promising run with 20 minutes left and cut it back for Elanga eight yards out but this time he put it wide.

City flexed their muscle when bringing on Rayan Cherki, Rodri, and Erling Haaland for the last 22 minutes. Semenyo, Nico O’Reilly and Nico Gonzalez went off. Inevitably, there was a chance for Haaland who latched on to Cherki’s pass, but Ramsdale got down to make a fine save and concede a corner with eight minutes to go.

It didn’t matter, the game had been well and truly finished a long time before.

Referee: Tony Harrington (Hartlepool)