Manchester City Faces Unexpected Showdown Against Newcastle United: Can the Carabao Cup Champions Defy the Odds to Reach Wembley?

The stage is set, the stakes sky-high, and as the EFL Cup semi-finals reach their fever pitch, Manchester City are gearing up to defend their crown against a determined Newcastle United squad. The Blues hold a solid advantage going into this clash, yet football—oh, it’s a game of surprises, twists, and unyielding passion. Newcastle, fresh off a historic triumph last year, are far from ready to surrender their hopes without a fight, aiming to overturn the deficit on the hallowed turf of the Etihad Stadium. Wherever you find yourself on this spinning globe, I’m here to hook you up with how to catch every heart-stopping moment live, whether on the tube or streaming through the internet’s endless wave of options. Get ready to witness a battle that’s about more than just a trophy—it’s pride, ambition, and legacy at stake. LEARN MORE

Watch Manchester City vs Newcastle United today as the holders look to cling on to hopes of retaining the EFL Cup. City have a commanding lead after the first leg and FourFourTwo brings you all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Newcastle’s grip on the EFL Cup is weakening but the deficit facing the holders after the first leg of this semi-final tie is one that’s been overcome before.

Eddie Howe delivered the Magpies’ first major silverware for generations last year but the size of the obstacle now facing his team won’t be lost on him as they prepare their assault on the Etihad Stadium.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information on how to watch Manchester City vs Newcastle United online, on TV, and from anywhere.

Can I watch Manchester City vs Newcastle United for free?

Last night’s semi-final was live on ITV in the UK but there’s no free-to-air UK coverage of Manchester City vs Newcastle United.

You can watch it for free if you’re in Belgium, where RTL has the rights to air the Carabao Cup games on its streaming platform, RTL Play.

Watch Manchester City vs Newcastle United from anywhere

What if you’re away from home when Manchester City vs Newcastle United is on, and find access to your usual streaming service geo-blocked? The solution is a VPN, a piece of software that sets your devices to appear to be in any country in the world.

Assuming it complies with your broadcaster’s T&Cs, you can use a VPN to unblock the streaming services you’re subscribed to, with a host of privacy and protection benefits on top – that sounds like a result.

FourFourTwo’s colleagues TechRadar are experts in this field, and they reckon NordVPN is the best VPN provider on the market.

How to watch Manchester City vs Newcastle United in the UK

Fans in the UK can watch Manchester City vs Newcastle United through Sky Sports, which will broadcast the game live on Sky Sports Main Event.

Watch Manchester City vs Newcastle United in the US

Fans in the United states will be able to stream Manchester City vs Newcastle United live via EFL broadcast partner Paramount+.

Manchester City vs Newcastle United: Routes to the Carabao Cup semi-final

How Manchester City reached the semi-final

• R3: Huddersfield Town 0-2 Manchester City
• R4: Swansea City 1-3 Manchester City
• 1/4: Manchester City 2-0 Brentford

How Newcastle United reached the semi-final

• R3: Newcastle 4-1 Bradford City
• R4: Newcastle 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur
• 1/4: Newcastle 2-1 Fulham

Tickets

Manchester City vs Newcastle United: Carabao Cup preview

Howe was a first-time EFL Cup winner in 2025 but Pep Guardiola is a master. While other teams with Manchester City’s modern priorities might have taken their eye off the ball – indeed even City themselves might have done so at times – Guardiola won it four years in a row.

2021 feels like a long time ago now and Newcastle have reached the final twice since City’s last appearance in the Wembley showpiece. In all, City have won the League Cup eight times, more than any other club except Liverpool.

Neither team gave themselves the ideal springboard. Newcastle were beaten 4-1 at Liverpool in Saturday’s late game, while City were held to a draw away at Tottenham Hotspur.

If the Magpies can find a glimmer of hope in that, it won’t just be that Guardiola’s team has had a far shorter turnaround. They also gave up a two-goal lead in the space of 18 second-half minutes.

City will welcome Newcastle again in just 17 days and the first Premier League meeting of the season between these two was a 2-1 win for the Tynesiders at St James’ Park. Harvey Barnes scored both goals back in November, a clear warning that this job is not yet done.