Manchester City welcome Newcastle United to the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night with one foot already in the Carabao Cup final after a 2-0 first-leg win at St James' Park . Pep Guardiola's side only need to avoid a two-goal defeat to book a Wembley date, but recent form suggests this will not be a straightforward night.
City were pegged back after leading 2-0 against Spurs at the weekend, a result that exposed lingering issues in 2026 and was analysed by SoftFootball after the entertaining draw in north London . Newcastle arrive under pressure after a heavy 4-1 loss at Liverpool that underlined their inconsistency and defensive fragility away from home.
That setback, covered in detail by SoftFootball, has left Eddie Howe's side needing a near-perfect performance to keep their title defence alive. Despite the challenge, Newcastle remain holders of the trophy and know an early goal could shift the tone of the tie.
