On Wednesday, January 14, Antoine Semenyo was the center of attention at St. James' Park, opening the scoring in the match and confirming his reputation as a player capable of stepping up in crucial moments.
Semenyo scored in the second half, taking advantage of a pass from Bernardo Silva and finishing the attack accurately. Later, he had the opportunity to secure a brace, but his goal was disallowed after a VAR check.
The final touch of the match was provided by Ryan Cherki, who scored in the 99th minute, extending Pep Guardiola's team's lead.
It is worth noting that this season's League Cup has seen rule changes that allowed Semenyo to play for Manchester City, despite his earlier participation in the tournament with another club. This innovation drew criticism from Eddie Howe, the head coach of Newcastle.
Pep Guardiola praised the performance of his new signing, emphasizing his effectiveness and ability to determine the outcome of matches. Semenyo became the first player from the club since 2009 to score in his first two games for the team.
The return match will take place at the Etihad Stadium in February.
