Manchester City's push for silverware kicks into high gear with EFL Cup semifinals vs. Newcastle United
City entered a rebuild after a trophyless campaign last season, raising questions about how ready they are to compete for silverware as Pep Guardiola fleshes out the team's new look
Manchester City are always graded on a curve, one uniquely of their own creation. It is hard to shed the weight of expectations from a Pep Guardiola team, especially when the heyday of four successive Premier League titles and a victory in the UEFA Champions League is not all that distant a memory. It means the current iteration of City almost pale in comparison to Guardiola's best, as harsh as it sounds – and yet, they just might be good enough to actually win some silverware this season.
Multiple things are true at once for City these days. They are obviously second-best to Premier League leaders Arsenal, a six point gap through 21 games as clear a sign of that as any. That does not actually mean City are inherently incapable of winning a trophy this season, though, and that things are not trending in the right direction for Guardiola and company.
Last season's trophyless showing was the perfect place for a rebuild, which City technically soft-launched last January when they spent more than $200 million on transfers in the hopes of revamping their squad. A year and two transfer windows later, City undoubtedly have a new look but one that is a blend of their existing strengths. The attack revolves around Erling Haaland, who has scored 20 of City's 45 Premier League goals this season, but his supporting cast looks a little different these days. Rayan Cherki has been one of the best new auditions to the Premier League this season with six goals and 10 assists across all competitions, while Tijjani Reijnders has six of each so far. Those newcomers alone have added new dimensions to a City team that has always been attack-minded and, at the very least, make them a luxury version of a team that should focus their trophy-winning efforts on cup competitions this season.
They face Newcastle United on Tuesday in the first of two legs of the EFL Cup semifinals, the competition perhaps as good a chance as any to reverse course after last season's trophyless campaign. The Magpies will act as a dramatic foil of sorts in that their great emphasis is on defensive organization, though they have underperformed in that category so far this season. Newcastle have the Premier League's second-best expected goals against tally at 23.69 but have conceded 27 times, eight other teams faring better in league play so far. City technically are not entering this match in exhilarating form, either – before a lopsided 10-1 win in the FA Cup over League One side Exeter City, they notched three successive draws and watched the gap atop the Premier League table slip from two points to six. There is an argument to be made that they were unlucky, beating their expected goals average of 1.9 per game in two of those matches, even if they did not have the goals to back it up.
The onus on Tuesday might just be on City to start the semifinals on a high, especially as Guardiola tries to build a more well-rounded attacking unit. The latest addition to the group is Antoine Semenyo, who joined the club last week after scoring 10 goals for Bournemouth this season and bagged his first City goal on Saturday against Exeter. He will be eligible to play for Guardiola's side on Tuesday – a player is allowed to represent two clubs a season in the EFL Cup – but the coach now has several options at his disposal in attack, including a finally in-form Phil Foden.
Tuesday's match -- and as a result, the chance to win the EFL Cup -- offers a first meaningful chance for Guardiola to prove his rebuild is not just working, but will eventually allow City to find a new version of their past glory. Even if the current group has yet to reach the heights of their predecessors, though, Guardiola's new vision is clicking enough to ensure they are realistic contenders for the trophies they are still eligible to win – and that their underdog status may not be permanent.
How to watch Newcastle United vs. Manchester City, odds
- Date: Tuesday, Jan. 13 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: St James' Park -- Newcastle, England
- Live stream: Paramount+
- Odds: Newcastle United +205; Draw +250; Manchester City +110
Predicted lineups
Newcastle United: Nick Pope, Lewis Miley, Malick Thiaw, Fabian Schar, Lewis Hall, Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali, Joelinton, Harvey Barnes, Nick Woltemade, Anthony Gordon
Manchester City: Gianluigi Donnarumma, Matheus Nunes, Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, Nico O'Reilly, Bernardo Silva, Rodri, Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki, Phil Foden, Erling Haaland
