Manchester City claimed a 2-0 victory over Newcastle United in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final, but the result was eclipsed by a prolonged and contentious VAR decision that denied City a second goal in the second half.

City opened the scoring in the 53rd minute when Antoine Semenyo, the club’s £65 million January signing, marked his growing impact with a clinical finish. The forward appeared to double City’s advantage 10 minutes later, flicking a cross from Tijjani Reijnders past Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope. However, celebrations were cut short after a five-and-a-half-minute VAR review ruled the goal out.

The decision hinged on Erling Haaland being judged to have interfered with play from an offside position while challenging Newcastle defender Malick Thiaw. Although Haaland did not touch the ball, officials ruled that his movement obstructed the defender’s ability to prevent Semenyo’s effort. The semi-automated offside system was unavailable, forcing officials to rely on manually drawn lines, further delaying the verdict.

The extended review sparked frustration inside St James’ Park, with fans voicing their displeasure through loud boos and anti-VAR chants. Referee Chris Kavanagh was eventually sent to the pitchside monitor and, after reviewing the incident multiple times, officially disallowed the goal nearly six minutes after the ball had hit the net.

Reacting after the match, Antoine Semenyo expressed his disappointment, insisting that the second goal should have stood. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola also voiced his frustration, linking the incident to previous decisions that have gone against his side this season. Despite the controversy, Guardiola said the setback would only make his team stronger heading into the second leg.

With a two-goal advantage, Manchester City now hold a commanding position in the tie, but the VAR decision is likely to remain a major talking point as debate continues over officiating consistency in high-stakes matches.