Manchester City took a firm grip on their EFL Cup semi-final tie with Newcastle United, ending the Magpies’ 13-match unbeaten home run with a 2-0 victory in the first leg at St James’ Park.

Newcastle’s strong recent record in the competition under Eddie Howe was evident early on, as the hosts started brightly. Within five minutes, a flowing move saw Jacob Murphy pick out the unmarked Yoane Wissa inside the box, but the forward failed to make the most of the opportunity, sending his effort harmlessly over the crossbar. Aside from that early chance, however, the opening half struggled to ignite, with the contest producing more cautions than shots on target.

The game came to life after the break, with Newcastle again pressing aggressively from the restart. Wissa’s looping header had to be cleared off the line by James Trafford, and moments later Bruno Guimarães struck the post, as City rode their luck during a frantic spell.

Those missed chances proved costly. City’s first shot on target of the match brought the breakthrough, underlining their clinical edge. Jeremy Doku surged down the left and delivered into the area, where Bernardo Silva’s clever touch diverted the ball to Antoine Semenyo, who finished confidently at the far post to score his second goal in as many games.

Semenyo thought he had doubled both his own and City’s tally soon afterwards, flicking home Tijjani Reijnders’ corner. However, after a prolonged VAR review lasting nearly five minutes, the goal was ruled out for offside against Erling Haaland in the build-up.

A series of substitutions slowed the tempo as the match entered its closing stages, a scenario that suited City. The visitors then put the tie further in their favour deep into stoppage time, when Rayan Cherki added a second goal to ensure City would take a commanding two-goal advantage back to the Etihad Stadium.

Newcastle struggled to muster a response after falling behind, with Sandro Tonali’s snapshot wide of the post their closest effort at a comeback. As a result, Howe’s side now face a daunting task in the return leg in February, while City move one step closer to another EFL Cup final.