Manchester City secured their place in the Carabao Cup final against Arsenal with a dominant 3-1 victory over Newcastle United at the Etihad Stadium on February 4, 2026. The win resulted in a 5-1 aggregate score, showcasing City's superiority over the two legs.

City's manager, Pep Guardiola, made six changes to the team that drew with Tottenham Hotspur over the weekend, including starting Erling Haaland on the bench. The decision proved fruitful as Omar Marmoush seized the opportunity, scoring twice in the first half. His first goal came early, in the seventh minute, aided by a deflection off Dan Burn. Newcastle's hopes for a comeback dwindled further when Marmoush headed in a second goal around the half-hour mark, capitalizing on a misclearance from Kieran Trippier.

Newcastle had opportunities to level the score early on, but City's goalkeeper, James Trafford, proved to be a formidable barrier. He denied Joe Willock and Anthony Gordon with crucial saves, maintaining City's lead. Tijjani Reijnders extended City's advantage, scoring after a swift counter-attack in the 32nd minute, making it 3-0.

Despite the scoreline, Newcastle continued to search for a breakthrough. Anthony Elanga, who came on as a substitute, scored a consolation goal in the 62nd minute, curling a shot into the far corner. However, it was too late to alter the course of the match. Elanga also missed another chance to score.

"It's one of the biggest clubs in the world," Marmoush said, emphasizing the club's ambition to win trophies. "We give our best every day to reach these finals and win silverware. Hopefully we can do it for all the new players and also the players that were here".

Manchester City will now face Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final on March 22. This will be a repeat of the 2018 final, which City won. City have a strong record in the competition, having won it eight times, second only to Liverpool. They had also won their last six EFL Cup semi-finals.