Carabao Cup: Cherki stunner sends Man City into semi-finals

Carabao Cup: Cherki stunner sends Man City into semi-finals

Manchester City progressed to the Carabao Cup semi-finals for the first time since lifting the trophy in 2021 after a 2-0 victory over Brentford, thanks to a stunning opener from Rayan Cherki.

A superb strike from Cherki and a second-half effort by Savinho ensured Pep Guardiola’s side booked a place in the last four, moving one step closer to another trip to Wembley.

The win marked a significant milestone for City, who had not reached this stage of the competition since completing a fourth successive triumph in 2021.

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Brentford started brightly and enjoyed early momentum but failed to make it count before being forced to rely on stand-in goalkeeper Hákon Valdimarsson, who pushed away a rising effort from Cherki to keep the scores level.

In the second half, Nico O’Reilly fired a long-range effort straight at Valdimarsson, while Brentford threatened at the other end through Kristoffer Ajer, whose powerful drive was superbly tipped away by James Trafford.

City sealed their place in the semi-finals in 67 minutes when Savinho’s deflected strike looped over Valdimarsson and dropped into the net, confirming Guardiola’s men as one of the last four teams left in the competition.

Head of Sports at BusinessDay Media, a seasoned Digital Content Producer, and FIFA/CAF Accredited Journalist with over a decade of sports reporting.Has a deep understanding of the Nigerian and global sports landscape and skills in delivering comprehensive and insightful sports content.

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