Antoine Semenyo’s flying start puts Man City on brink of Carabao Cup final

Knocked out of the Carabao Cup in August, Antoine Semenyo may be taking Manchester City to the final of it. And if that made little sense, the rule change that allowed players to represent two clubs in the competition this season had irritated Eddie Howe even before Manchester City’s latest signing threated to end Newcastle’s defence of their first major trophy since the 1960s.

In previous years, he would have been cup-tied. Not now. Semenyo’s part in Bournemouth’s summer defeat to Brentford may be no impediment to claiming a winner’s medal. His first-leg strike, coupled with Rayan Cherki’s 99th-minute second, means City can envisage a March date with Arsenal or Chelsea at Wembley. Newcastle need a turnaround at the Etihad next month.

They are likely to face a stronger City team then. City had a £62.5m addition to their attack but a makeshift look to the back half of their team. They won anyway. But it helps to have the financial muscle to sign a player coveted by Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United.

If a debut goal against Exeter was scarcely proof Semenyo is worth his sizeable fee, this was a bigger indication City’s money has been well spent. This was an indication the biggest signing of the winter window so far is a big-game player.

Not since Emmanuel Adebayor in 2009 had a player scored in his first two games for City, though Semenyo may not want to emulate some other elements of the Togolese’s time in Manchester. But this has been a flying start.

The goal was a reward for Pep Guardiola’s policy of picking out-and-out wingers. One scored a goal, set up by another. Jeremy Doku accelerated past Lewis Miley to cross, Bernardo Silva diverted it into the path of Semenyo and he had a tap in. He has had an instant impact with supporters, too. He already has a song that they chorused.

He also thought he had a third goal in his first two games. Semenyo seemed to have a brace, courtesy of an improvised finish, with an attempted backheel, from Tijjani Reijnders’ corner. Following an interminable VAR check, Erling Haaland was adjudged offside.

City instead doubled their lead at the last, thanks to a combination of summer signings and Rayans. A one-two between Cherki and Rayan Ait-Nouri began with a lovely flick from the No 10 and, after a low cross from the Algerian, ended with an adept finish.

So Newcastle could rue missed opportunities; one a wild effort, two that came agonisingly close. Yoane Wissa sliced a fifth-minute shot over the bar, when City were opened up by Jacob Murphy’s cross. Wissa was preferred to Nick Woltemade, but Murphy, their most creative player in the first half, went off injured seconds before the interval.

Newcastle nevertheless had more attacking intent after it. Before Semenyo struck, they hit the woodwork twice within seconds. First Anthony Gordon crossed, Wissa produced a looping header and James Trafford, forever a Newcastle target, tipped it on to the bar. Then Bruno Guimaraes thudded a shot from 20 yards against the post.

They exerted plenty of effort in their search for an equaliser, and Sven Botman had attempts blocked by Trafford and Semenyo. Sandro Tonali came off the bench to drill a shot wide. They may feel referee Chris Kavanagh was too lenient: Silva was perhaps fortunate only to be booked for an accumulation of offences.

But Newcastle could regret the dullness of the first half. There had been a surfeit of drama at St James’ Park in the last week. The first half was the antidote to the 4-3 and the 3-3, the rush of 13 goals. City belatedly mustered their first shot in stoppage time, and even afterwards Nick Pope’s first save was to spare Gordon an own goal, but Newcastle had the greater need to win. They have won two Carabao Cup semi-finals under Howe, but each with the second leg on Tyneside. Now they go to Manchester with a sizeable deficit.

But the teamsheets suggested they had an opportunity, too. A couple of weeks ago, it seemed the centre of the City defence would be manned by Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol. Instead, it was Max Alleyne and Abdukodir Khusanov, the unlikely alliance.

Ahead of them, Nico O’Reilly had to do his Rodri impression at the base of the midfield. With Nico Gonzalez injured, the other Nico was the third-choice defensive midfielder. Guardiola had seemed to prioritise the Manchester derby by benching Rodri, Reijnders and Cherki. But each appeared in the second half and Guardiola’s policy of bringing on class was justified by Cherki’s goal.