FOOTBALL – Omar Marmoush scored twice as Manchester City set up a League Cup final date with Arsenal after a comprehensive 3-1 second-leg victory over visiting Newcastle United secured a 5-1 aggregate win in their semi-final yesterday.
The home side were ruthless in the first half as Tijjani Reijnders also got on the scoresheet and now face Arsenal at Wembley on March 22 in a battle between City manager Pep Guardiola and his protege Mikel Arteta.
Trailing 2-0 from the first leg, the last thing Newcastle needed was to concede early at the Etihad Stadium, but Marmoush’s shot deflected off defender Dan Burn and into the net inside six minutes.
The Egypt international added a second on the night with a close-range header from Antoine Semenyo’s cross.
Marmoush has now scored 12 goals for City and five have come against Newcastle at the Etihad Stadium.
A rampant City scored a third before halftime and Semenyo was involved again as he created the chance for Reijnders to finish.
Newcastle pulled a goal back just past the hour-mark when substitute Anthony Elanga showed quick feet to work a shooting chance and curled his effort past James Trafford in the home goal.
Elanga missed two superb chances to reduce the deficit further, one scarcely believable from right in front of the goal, while Erling Haaland brushed the post at the other end.
The final will continue the recent rivalry between the clubs, which has seen City beat Arsenal to the title in 2023 and ‘24. On both occasions Arsenal had led the way before being overhauled.
Arteta’s team is ahead again this season and aiming to win the title for the first time since 2004.
The League Cup would be Arteta’s first major trophy since his debut season as Arsenal manager when he won the FA Cup in 2020.
Victory in the final would see him finally beat his former colleague to a major trophy.
Guardiola, meanwhile, will get the chance to win a 16th major trophy since taking over at City in 2016 and his fifth League Cup.
City is looking to win it for the ninth time and move within one of Liverpool’s record haul of 10 in the competition.
Arsenal have won the trophy twice – most recently in 1993. This year’s final will be a repeat of 2018, when Arteta was part of Guardiola’s coaching team as City triumphed.
“We showed a very good mentality. We were together as a team, from the first minute we were very focused on the job. We showed our mentality and passion and are very happy to reach the final,” Marmoush told Sky Sports
“The first goal was very lucky, my touch wasn’t the best but the ball went in. I try to make the runs and be in the right place and I am very happy to score two goals.”
“I wished to get the hat-trick today but I am very happy to score two goals and it gives us all confidence to win the game and hopefully we can win the final.”
“It’s one of the biggest clubs in the world. We are here 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. They showed us that every medal and every silverware is important.”
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