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  "path": "/2026/02/05/pep-guardiola-tells-manchester-city-to-demand-rule-change-ahead-of-carabao-cup-final-against-arsenal-26718398/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-02-05T07:41:19.000Z",
  "site": "https://metro.co.uk",
  "tags": [
    "Football",
    "Sport",
    "Arsenal",
    "Carabao Cup",
    "Manchester City FC",
    "Marc Guehi",
    "Manchester City",
    "Crystal Palace",
    "Newcastle",
    "Antoine Semenyo",
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    "supports HTML5 video",
    "Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source"
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  "textContent": "Pep Guardiola claims Manchester City are at a disadvantage ahead of the Carabao Cup final (Picture: Getty)\n\nManchester City will seek permission for a rule change that would allow Marc Guehi to play in next month’s Carabao Cup final against Arsenal.\n\nThe January signing from Crystal Palace has slotted straight into City’s starting XI but was ineligible for last night’s comfortable 3-1 semi-final second leg win over Newcastle.\n\nWhile fellow January recruit Antoine Semenyo was free to play, Guehi was prevented from featuring because he joined City after the first leg against Newcastle took place.\n\nAs things stand the England international will have to watch from the sidelines again when his new side locks horns with the current Premier League leaders on March 22, much to Guardiola’s annoyance.\n\nGuardiola acknowledged he did not expect City to be successful, but said they will make their case regardless.\n\n‘Why should he not play? Why not?’ Guardiola said. ‘He’s our player, we pay his salary, we hired him…\n\nMarc Guehi will have to wait to see if he can play against Arsenal (Picture: Getty)\n\n##  Get your football fix\n\nDon't want to miss the week's biggest football stories? **Metro's** exclusive football newsletter, In The Mixer, is your essential guide.\n\nFrom the latest transfer rumours and managerial moves to analysis of the biggest games and a lot more, our experts have you covered.\n\nSign up here, it's an open goal.\n\n‘We want to ask. I said to the club we have to ask definitely. I don’t understand the reason why he cannot play in the final of the Carabao Cup in March when he has been here a long time…\n\n‘Of course we are going to ask because it’s pure logic. (But) to change the rule, no way. But we will try.’\n\nGuardiola’s complaints didn’t stop at Guehi’s potential participation, however, and also made reference to his annoyance at having to travel to London for another showpiece occasion.\n\nHe said: ‘We’re going to travel to London [for the Carabao Cup final], they [Arsenal] will wait for us there; all the time we have to travel. Never [the opposition] travel to the North of England [for a Final].’\n\nTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video\n\nUp Next\n\nPrevious Page\n\nNext Page\n\nOmar Marmoush was the star for City as he scored the opening two goals of the night before Tijjani Reijnders added a third, all inside 35 minutes.\n\nGuardiola would have been concerned by the number of chances Newcastle created after the break, but with Anthony Elanga’s 62nd-minute strike the only one they converted, City were never overly troubled.\n\nThe win continues City’s run of having played at Wembley at least once every season since 2010-11.\n\nOmar Marmoush scored twice in Man City’s win over Newcastle (Picture: Getty)\n\n‘I do not take it for granted,’ Guardiola said. ‘I know how difficult it is. I don’t know how many semi-finals and finals we have played in the FA Cup but it’s really good, and in 10 years five Carabao Cup finals so it’s really good: top, top, top.’\n\nMarmoush, who previously scored a hat-trick against Newcastle, once again grabbed his chance against the Magpies with Erling Haaland starting on the bench.\n\n‘He gives us a special quality,’ Guardiola said of the Egyptian. ‘His pace, his moments in behind, and his work ethic.’\n\nNewcastle arrived in Manchester trailing 2-0 from the reverse fixture and knowing a strong start was essential.\n\nAnthony Gordon’s injury compounded a miserable night for Newcastle (Picture: Getty)\n\nInstead, they found themselves quickly 3-0 down and effectively out of it.\n\n‘(I was) really annoyed with the first half display,’ boss Eddie Howe said. ‘We pride ourselves on being really organised and tactically we want to be able to handle any problem the opposition gives us. That first half we weren’t good enough individually and our duels were off and it gave us huge problems.’\n\nTo add to Howe’s worries, Anthony Gordon was forced off before half-time.\n\n‘It looks like a hamstring problem,’ Howe said. ‘I don’t qute know how bad it was but it was enough for him to come off so that’s a big worry.’\n\nComment now Comments  Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source ",
  "title": "Pep Guardiola tells Manchester City to demand rule change ahead of Carabao Cup final against Arsenal"
}