Newcastle, England - The Carabao Cup semi-final first leg between Newcastle and Manchester City at St. James' Park was overshadowed by a controversial VAR decision that disallowed what would have been Antoine Semenyo's second goal of the match. The incident occurred in the 63rd minute, with Manchester City already leading 1-0 courtesy of Semenyo's earlier strike.
Semenyo appeared to have doubled his tally, directing a close-range effort off his knee and past Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope after a corner. Celebrations were quickly cut short as VAR intervened, initiating a lengthy review for a potential offside. The focus of the review was Erling Haaland's positioning near the goalmouth, where he stood close to defender Malick Thiaw.
After a delay of over four minutes, referee Chris Kavanagh consulted the pitchside monitor. Replays showed Haaland's right boot marginally ahead of Thiaw. The decision was that Haaland was in an offside position and impacting Thiaw's ability to play the ball. Kavanagh then announced the goal was disallowed, sparking loud cheers from the Newcastle supporters who had grown frustrated with the length of the review.
Semenyo was visibly bemused by the decision. The disallowed goal has ignited debate about the accuracy and consistency of VAR, particularly regarding marginal offside calls. The incident adds to the ongoing discussion about the implementation of VAR and its impact on the flow of the game.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was visibly agitated by the VAR decision. Guardiola stated that the VAR delay made his players "angry", which contributed to Rayan Cherki's 98th-minute goal. Guardiola also aired his frustrations about previous VAR decisions that he felt had gone against his team, including a Premier League game against Newcastle in November and last season's FA Cup final against Crystal Palace. He expressed a desire for clarification from PGMOL chief Howard Webb regarding the standards of officiating and the use of VAR.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe acknowledged the difficulty his team faced after the 2-0 defeat. Howe also voiced his concern about the length of the VAR delay, stating that "five minutes is too long," especially in cold conditions, for both players and fans.
Despite the controversy, Semenyo's performance was a bright spot for Manchester City. Since his £65m move from Bournemouth last week, he has impressed, causing problems for the Newcastle defense.
The VAR controversy and Semenyo's disallowed goal became talking points, overshadowing Manchester City's 2-0 victory. The incident raises questions about how teams prepare for VAR scenarios and the psychological impact of overturned goals. The second leg at the Etihad is now a must-win for Newcastle if they are to retain any hope of lifting the trophy they won last March.
