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Manchester City secure Carabao Cup semi-final advantage
Manchester City defeated Newcastle United 2-0 in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final on Tuesday, but the match was marred by a disputed Video Assistant Referee (VAR) decision that disallowed a goal by Antoine Semenyo.
The disputed call
Semenyo, who joined City in January for £65 million, opened the scoring in the 53rd minute and appeared to double the lead 10 minutes later when he redirected Tijjani Reijnders' cross past Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope. However, after a prolonged VAR review lasting five minutes and 30 seconds, referee Chris Kavanagh ruled the goal out due to Erling Haaland's offside interference.
Haaland was engaged in a physical duel with Newcastle defender Malick Thiaw when the ball reached Semenyo. Despite both players being closer to the goal than Pope, the VAR determined Haaland had obstructed Thiaw, rendering the goal invalid. The semi-automated offside technology malfunctioned, forcing officials to manually draw lines, which extended the delay and heightened tensions among fans at St James' Park.
"The second goal should have stood," Semenyo told reporters after the match.
Reactions from the pitch and beyond
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola expressed frustration over the decision, questioning the consistency of VAR officiating. He highlighted two incidents from a previous Premier League match against Newcastle-one involving a potential penalty for Phil Foden and another for Jeremy Doku-which he claimed were overlooked by VAR.
"I'd like to know why VAR in the 60th minute of the Premier League game against Newcastle-when we lost 2-1-it was 0-0 and it was a penalty for Fabian Schar on Phil Foden, not even consideration. Today was more than six minutes [reviewing], and we're not even able to discuss it with the referee. But they will call me," Guardiola said, referring to Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) technical director Howard Webb.
City captain Bernardo Silva echoed Guardiola's sentiments, citing a recent Premier League Key Match Incidents Panel ruling that acknowledged Foden was wrongly denied a penalty in an earlier match at St James' Park.
"It should have been 3-0, but we are quite used to this at the moment. It is so frustrating because the last time we came here, we also had a lot of decisions go against us," Silva said.
Expert and fan reactions
Former Chelsea striker Chris Sutton criticized the decision, calling it a "sheer guess" and arguing that Thiaw was unlikely to have stopped Semenyo's shot. Meanwhile, ex-Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp and Newcastle defender Dan Burn acknowledged the decision was technically correct but criticized the lengthy review process.
"If they had given the goal, there wouldn't be one person that looked at this and thought it shouldn't have been allowed. But by the letter of the law, whether we like it or not, it is the right decision," Redknapp said.
Fans at St James' Park voiced their displeasure with boos and anti-VAR chants during the delay. Social media reactions were equally critical, with many calling for VAR to be abolished.
"VAR wasn't brought in for this reason. This is anti-goal, which they said they weren't going to do. They said they weren't going to re-referee the game," remarked former Manchester City defender Micah Richards.
City seal the win
Despite the controversy, Manchester City added a second goal in stoppage time when Rayan Cherki found the net, securing their 2-0 victory. The result gives City a significant advantage heading into the second leg of the semi-final.
Broader implications for VAR
The incident has reignited debates about VAR's role in football, particularly its impact on the flow and spirit of the game. The extended review time and the subjective nature of the decision have fueled calls for reform or even the removal of the technology from the sport.
