Overview
- Manchester City beat Newcastle 3-1 at the Etihad to win their semi-final 5-1 on aggregate and set up a Wembley final against Arsenal.
- Pep Guardiola confirmed Marc Guéhi cannot play in the final under current rules because he joined after the first leg, and said the club will formally ask for an exemption.
- Guardiola used Transfermarkt data to argue City rank seventh for net spend over the past five years and quipped that higher-spending rivals should be winning more trophies.
- City added Antoine Semenyo and Guéhi in January, contributing to one of the window’s larger outlays despite the club’s lower five-year net spend compared with six Premier League rivals.
- Guardiola again highlighted recurring second‑half drop-offs and described this as the youngest squad he has managed at City over the past decade.