Manchester City Advance to Carabao Cup Semi-Finals with 2-0 Win Over Brentford

Manchester City secured their place in the Carabao Cup semi-finals for the first time since 2021, defeating Brentford 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night.Rayan Cherki opened the scoring in the 32nd minute with a stunning strike from the edge of the box. The 22-year-old French midfielder, who joined City from Lyon in a £34 million deal last summer, controlled the ball expertly before curling an unstoppable shot into the top corner past Brentford goalkeeper Hákon Valdimarsson.

The hosts doubled their lead in the 67th minute through Savinho. The Brazilian winger broke clear on a counter-attack, and his effort took a heavy deflection off Kristoffer Ajer, looping over Valdimarsson to seal the victory.

Pep Guardiola's side dominated possession and created numerous chances, though Brentford had early moments, including a controversial incident where Abdukodir Khusanov escaped a red card for fouling Kevin Schade as the last man.

City made several changes, resting key players like Erling Haaland, while Phil Foden came off the bench to influence the second goal. The win sets up a two-legged semi-final against holders Newcastle United in January.Cherki's performance highlighted his growing impact at City, marking his fourth goal since arriving.