Guardiola’s Visa for Clarity: City Cruise to Carabao Cup Final Amid Baffling Rule Saga
5 February 2026
City march to Carabao Cup final after beating Newcastle
Pep Guardiola praised his players after Manchester City defeated Newcastle United 3-1 at the Etihad, sealing a Carabao Cup semifinal victory.
City had already claimed a 2-0 win in the first leg, so the aggregate scoreline was 5-1 and booked a final against Arsenal at Wembley on March 22.
Guardiola told the press: "I am extremely happy. It’s something we know is hard. I don’t know how many semifinals we’ve played, so it’s really good."
According to City’s official site, Guardiola added: "Over ten years, we reached five Carabao Cup finals — it’s amazing. Excellent, excellent, excellent."
He expressed personal satisfaction at the return to a final for several players who had never reached this stage with the club.
He noted: "It’s a good experience to face perhaps the best team in Europe or the world right now (Arsenal) for many reasons, including their playing style and statistics." A good test for City, he said, and they hoped everyone would be ready in March.
To reach the final, Guardiola said, a team must be consistent across 180 minutes — and City were "very good" in both legs, with a 5-1 aggregate result.
He added: "What impressed me most is that we started as if it were 0-0. It felt like we were at 2-0 but we did not play to protect what we had in the first leg — the opposite actually happened."
He praised the pace, chances and aggressive ball recovery, noting Newcastle’s high-pressing game would require careful focus across the full 90 minutes.
Guardiola then addressed the ongoing saga around Mark Guehi’s eligibility for the final, urging the Carabao Cup to reconsider the rule that prevents him from playing.
He said: "We hope to persuade the Carabao Cup to allow Mark Guehi to play in the final. I don’t understand why he can’t participate. You sign a player for a big fee, then he can’t play because of a rule I do not understand. I hope they change it."
He added: "Antoine Semenyo joined before the first leg, so he could have played, and now for the final. Why not Guehi? He’s our player and we pay his wages."
He concluded: "The rules around buying players are governed by FIFA, UEFA and the Premier League. They say: the transfer window is open; when you buy a player you must play him, right? Logic. Of course we will try to plead his case."
In response to a question about a potential reaction from the English authorities, he said: "No. But we’ll try."
City’s final preparation continues as they look to lift another trophy, while Arsenal await a high-profile Wembley showdown. And yes, somewhere in the background, a rulebook probably needs more than a highlighter.
Punchline time: If football rules were as clear as Guardiola’s plan, offsides would finally be explained without a seminar. And two: City’s motto would be printed on the rulebook – “We pay, we play, we conquer.”
