VAR Chaos Overshadows Man City’s Win as Newcastle Face Reality Check
Good evening and welcome to this live update on a dramatic night at St James’ Park, where football once again found itself arguing with technology.
Manchester City have taken a firm grip on this Carabao Cup semi-final after beating Newcastle United 2–0 in the first leg, but the scoreline only tells part of the story. This match will be remembered just as much for VAR controversy as it will for City’s quality.
City struck early in the second half through their big January signing, Antoine Semenyo. It was a clean finish, calm and confident and it immediately changed the mood inside the stadium. Newcastle, who had started cautiously, suddenly had a mountain to climb. Ten minutes later, Semenyo thought he had doubled his tally and City’s lead. The ball hit the net, the away end erupted and then everything stopped.
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What followed was five and a half minutes of waiting. Players stood around. Fans grew restless. The referee eventually went to the screen. And when the decision came, the goal was ruled out. The reason was Erling Haaland, judged to be offside and interfering with a defender in the build-up. By the letter of the law, officials say it was correct. But inside the ground and across the football world, frustration boiled over.
Pep Guardiola looked unimpressed. City captain Bernardo Silva looked weary of the debate. And many fans simply felt the moment had been sucked out of the game. This was meant to be a semi-final under the lights. Instead, it became another example of how long VAR delays can drain emotion from football.
Newcastle tried to respond. They pushed forward, made tackles and fed off the home crowd. But chances were limited. City controlled the ball, slowed the tempo and showed the experience of a side used to nights like this. Deep into stoppage time, Rayan Cherki finally delivered the second goal that felt inevitable, firing past Nick Pope and giving City a commanding advantage.
For Newcastle, this result is sobering. This club has tasted silverware recently and the Carabao Cup still matters deeply here. But this match was a reminder of the level they are trying to live at. Against elite opposition, small margins become brutal and mistakes or moments of uncertainty get punished.
For Manchester City, the job is not finished, but it is very close. They head into the second leg with control, confidence and depth. Yet once again, the loudest talking point is not the football, but the technology meant to protect it.
That’s all from St James’ Park tonight. The tie is alive, but Newcastle now need something special and the debate over VAR shows no sign of cooling down.
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