Newcastle United hosted Manchester City at St James' Park on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, for the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final. As the current Carabao Cup champions, Newcastle United aimed to defend their title, while Manchester City sought their fifth League Cup under Pep Guardiola.
Newcastle United entered the match with several absentees. Defenders Dan Burn, Fabian Schar, and Tino Livramento were all unavailable, along with reserve defenders Emil Krafth and Jamaal Lascelles. William Osula remained sidelined with an ankle injury, while Jacob Murphy and Anthony Elanga faced late fitness tests. Manchester City also had their share of injuries, with Ruben Dias, John Stones, and Josko Gvardiol missing the game. Mateo Kovacic, Oscar Bobb, and Savinho were also out, while Omar Marmoush was away with Egypt for an international match.
The confirmed lineups were:
- Newcastle United: Pope; J. Murphy, Thiaw, Botman, Hall; Miley, Guimaraes (C), Joelinton; Ramsey, Wissa, Gordon.
- Manchester City: Not specified in provided context.
Going into the match, Newcastle was unbeaten in their last 13 home games. Manchester City, however, had a recent dominant 10-1 victory over Exeter City in the FA Cup. New Manchester City recruit Antoine Semenyo, who scored and assisted in his debut against Exeter City, was eligible to play against Newcastle in the Carabao Cup despite playing for Bournemouth earlier in the competition.
The winner of the semi-final tie will face either Chelsea or Arsenal in the final in March. Pep Guardiola voiced his preference for a single-leg Carabao Cup final instead of the current two-legged format. There was a possibility of Newcastle and Manchester City facing each other up to four times in February 2026, considering their existing Carabao Cup and Premier League fixtures and the potential for a Champions League draw. ITV4 will air highlights of the semi-final first legs on Wednesday, January 14, at 11:25 pm.
