Man City Cruise Past Newcastle Without Haaland, Fans Praise Marmoush and Reijnders

By: Shawn
‎Manchester City advanced to the Carabao Cup final after a dominant 5-1 victory over Newcastle, despite starting the match without Erling Haaland. The Norwegian striker, who has struggled to find the net recently, was on the bench as Pep Guardiola’s side showcased attacking depth.
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‎Manchester City defeat Newcastle 5-1 in Carabao Cup semi-final without Erling Haaland. Fans suggest City perform better without their star striker.
‎Getty Images Sport 
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‎Omar Marmoush opened the scoring for City in the seventh minute and doubled the lead by the 29th. Just moments later, Tijjani Reijnders added a third, helping secure the 5-1 aggregate triumph and a final showdown with Arsenal at Wembley. Haaland eventually entered the game in the second half but failed to score, extending his goal drought to just one in the last eight outings across all competitions.
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‎Fans quickly took to social media to express their surprise, with many claiming City’s attacking play improves without Haaland. X user @bestinthelandc remarked, “Our press is better without Haaland. Big issue.” Another fan, @omoselye0x, added, “See how better we play across the lines without that Norwegian donkey. Haaland, you will pay for your crimes.”
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‎Guardiola acknowledged Haaland’s recent struggles but defended the striker’s contribution. “God bless that we have Erling in our team right now and all of the season. He brings a lot and is getting better at many, many things. It is difficult but he'll be back,” the manager explained, citing tight schedules and tough opponents as factors.
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‎Marmoush, who netted twice, revealed he had hoped for a hat-trick. “The first goal was lucky, my touch wasn't the best, but it went in. I try to make the runs and be in the right place. I am very happy to score two goals,” he said, emphasizing the team’s focus and mentality.
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‎Looking ahead, City will face Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday, March 22, 2026. In the meantime, Guardiola’s men aim to close the six-point gap at the Premier League summit when they travel to Anfield to face Liverpool.

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