RAYAN CHERKI’S SCREAMER PROPELS MANCHESTER CITY INTO CARABAO CUP FINAL FOUR VICTORY
Rayan Cherki’s stunning strike and a Savinho goal see Man City beat Brentford 2-0 to reach the Carabao Cup semi-finals.
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Manchester City advanced to the Carabao Cup semi-finals after a 2-0 victory against Brentford, thanks to Rayan Cherki's excellent first-half goal.
Cherki gave a moment to remember, rocketing a shot into the top corner after 32 minutes. Savinho then scored in the second half, with a lucky deflection, sealing City's place in the final four for the first time since they last won in 2021.
That was Cherki's fourth goal for City. The 22-year-old had a tough start to his City career due to an injury after his £30 million summer transfer from Lyon. He’s now finding his form and was the standout player until he was subbed off in the 66th minute.
City made seven changes from their 3-0 win over Crystal Palace, while Brentford made six after their 1-1 draw with Leeds. Both sides took some time to adjust to the rainy Manchester weather.
Once they settled, City began to press. Rico Henry blocked Oscar Bobb from a one-on-one chance, but on the next attack, slipped as the winger broke into the box, only to shoot straight at Hakon Valdimarsson.
That was Bobb's last action as he went down with a possible hamstring issue and was replaced by Phil Foden.
Brentford wanted a red card in the 16th minute, and they had a point. Abdukodir Khusanov's last-ditch effort brought down Kevin Schade as he was about to shoot from the edge of the box, but the referee only gave a yellow.
Because of Bobb's injury, Mathias Jensen had to wait to take a free kick that James Trafford pushed away.
Cherki was central to the city's best plays and made the game better in the 32nd minute.
Valdimarsson collided with Schade while heading away from Divine Mukasa's corner, but he only cleared it to Cherki. Cherki then stepped around Mikkel Damsgaard before firing a shot that Henry only helped into the top corner.
The Frenchman enjoyed the moment, doing Erling Haaland's robot and zen pose celebrations, earning a nod of approval from the Norwegian on the bench.
Brentford played better at the start of the second half. Kristoffer Ajer moved forward to hit a strong shot that Trafford pushed away, and from the resulting throw-in, Michael Kayode tested the goalkeeper from a difficult angle.
Schade then tried to get past Khusanov again, but this time the defender won.
Foden forced a save from Valdimarsson, but City weren't playing their best. Pep Guardiola made changes, with Bernardo Silva, Josko Gvardiol, and Matheus Nunes coming on for some players, including Cherki.
Soon after, Savinho made it 2-0, bursting forward onto Tijjani Reijnders' pass and beating Valdimarsson with a deflection off Ajer.
Mukasa and Savinho put Valdimarsson to the test again, but City had already done enough.
THE REAL: REASON JEREMY DOKU BELIEVES THE NEXT FOUR GAMES WILL DEFINE CITY’S SEASON
Jeremy Doku praises City's pride after Bernardo Silva's red card, eyeing redemption in Sunday's Carabao Cup final.
Jérémy Doku sees winning the Carabao Cup as a helpful way for Manchester City to bounce back from their Champions League disappointment. After being knocked out by Real Madrid for the third consecutive year, with a 5-1 aggregate loss in the round of 16, the team faces a tough challenge to regroup quickly.
Pep Guardiola's squad now has to shift focus to their upcoming trip to Wembley, where they’ll take on Arsenal on Sunday. Despite the setback in Europe, Doku feels that lifting a trophy this week would help erase the recent frustration.
He said, “It’s a good way to recover. We’ll do everything we can to win that game and bring home a trophy. The next four matches really matter. We have to recover well for Sunday and then take it one game at a time.”
What lies ahead will likely define the city's season. After the Carabao Cup final, they face an FA Cup quarterfinal against Liverpool following the international break, as well as two critical Premier League games against Chelsea and Arsenal.
“There’s still plenty at stake,” Doku added. “We’re competing in three different competitions, with three trophies still on the table. If we manage to win one, it’ll still be a strong season for us. Of course, missing out on the Champions League is disappointing. It’s always a special trophy. But we have to learn from those games against Real Madrid, recover properly, and focus on what’s next.”
City endured a tough week, following a 3-0 loss in Madrid with a narrow 2-1 defeat at the Etihad. One pivotal moment was Bernardo Silva’s early red card in the second leg.
Yet, Doku draws some confidence from how the team performed despite being down to 10 men against such a formidable opponent.
“We have reasons to be proud,” he reflected. “Playing against a team like Real Madrid with one less player and still causing them problems isn’t something every team can do. We didn’t get the win, but we can look each other in the eye knowing we gave a good performance both with 11 players and with 10. We created chances and played well.”
He went on to say, “If we bring that kind of effort to every match, we’ll trouble many teams. There are valuable takeaways from this game that we can carry into the next.”
WHY PEP GUARDIOLA CANCELLED TRAINING BEFORE MANCHESTER CITY’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE REMATCH
Pep Guardiola cancels Manchester City training to combat fatigue ahead of the 3-0 comeback attempt vs Real Madrid.
Pep Guardiola has shared his reasoning for skipping training the day before Manchester City’s crucial Champions League last-16 second leg against Real Madrid at the Etihad. Facing a tough three-goal deficit from their 3-0 loss at the Bernabeu last week, City are up against the difficult task of overturning this against a team that has won Europe’s top trophy 15 times.
Historically, only four teams have managed to claw back a gap of three or more goals in the knockout stages, so the challenge ahead is immense. Guardiola acknowledges his players will need to deliver an almost flawless performance if they hope to stage a remarkable comeback on home turf. Still, he remains hopeful they will create plenty of scoring chances against Alvaro Arbeloa’s side.
In a somewhat unexpected move, Guardiola has decided to give his first team a day off on Monday, opting for a light session just hours before kickoff on Tuesday. At Monday’s press conference, he explained the logic behind this approach, citing the fatigue from travel and recent matches. After returning late from Madrid, then heading to London for a Premier League draw against West Ham, the players have had a packed schedule. Guardiola feels a day of rest will serve them better than trying to squeeze in more training.
He further emphasised the mental aspect, pointing out that mental strength plays a big role in how well they perform. He plans to assess the players’ condition and conduct training on Tuesday afternoon. With travel taking its toll and players spontaneously connecting with their families, he believes keeping them relaxed and fresh is crucial.
Captain Bernardo Silva, who was the only City player present for media duties, supported Guardiola’s decision. He reflected on past occasions when the team took rest days following both wins and losses, trusting the manager’s judgement to help them regroup and come back stronger.
On team news, Guardiola revealed he has most of his starting lineup settled, though one spot remains uncertain. Josko Gvardiol (tibial fracture) and Rico Lewis (ankle) are sidelined, but Mateo Kovacic has returned to the bench after recovering from a lengthy ankle and heel injury. With these preparations in place, City will be charging into a daunting but pivotal night against one of Europe’s giants.
