Manchester City secured their place in the Carabao Cup semi-finals with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Brentford on a rainy Wednesday night at the Etihad Stadium. Goals from summer signings Rayan Cherki and Savinho proved enough for Pep Guardiola’s side. Despite making seven changes to the starting lineup and resting top scorer Erling Haaland, the hosts controlled the tempo against a Brentford side that offered little threat going forward.
The deadlock was broken in the 32nd minute through a moment of individual brilliance from Cherki. Collecting a clearance on the edge of the box, the French playmaker dummied past Mikkel Damsgaard before unleashing a curling strike into the top corner. He celebrated the thunderbolt by mimicking Haaland’s signature robot and yoga poses on the sideline.
Despite the goal, Guardiola offered a mixed review of the midfielder's performance. "Close to the 18-yard box of the opponent he is an exceptional player, it was a fantastic goal," Guardiola said. "It is not necessary to be a journalist or a manager to realise he is a fantastic player. After that he didn’t play very well."
The first half was marred by controversy when City defender Abdukodir Khusanov brought down Kevin Schade near the penalty area. Brentford manager Keith Andrews was incensed that Khusanov received only a yellow card, arguing his striker was through on goal. With no VAR in operation for this round, the referee’s decision stood. "I'm very quick to defend officials generally... but that was one they didn't get right," Andrews stated.
"If it's a red card it's a big advantage for us obviously, but we'll never know." When pressed on the incident, Guardiola quipped, "Tomorrow at the training ground, I invite him to the cafe and we will discuss."
City doubled their advantage and effectively killed the game in the 67th minute when Savinho drove into the area, his shot taking a heavy deflection off Kristoffer Ajer to loop over goalkeeper Hákon Valdimarsson.
The win came at a cost, however, as youngster Oscar Bobb was forced off with a muscular problem just 19 minutes into the match. He was replaced by Phil Foden, who tested the Brentford keeper with a sharp volley. The injury adds to City's fitness concerns, with Rodri, John Stones, and Jeremy Doku already sidelined, and key players away at AFCON.
The victory extends City’s winning streak to six matches across all competitions as they look to reclaim the trophy they last won in 2021. While City prepare for a two-legged tie against Newcastle, Chelsea awaits the winner of the final quarter-final between Arsenal and Crystal Palace. For Brentford, it marks a second consecutive exit at the quarter-final stage, leaving them to focus on their upcoming Premier League clash against Wolves.
