Manchester City ease into League Cup final after lacklustre Newcastle run out of fizz

A six-point deficit to Arsenal in the Premier League is not quite a state of affairs that calls for Manchester City to throw everything at the cups, but we might be approaching that scenario.

City are certainly strong favourites to reach the League Cup final, taking a 2-0 lead into tonight’s home second leg against holders Newcastle United.

Pep Guardiola’s team will play Arsenal at Wembley on March 22 if they progress, around a month before the teams play at the Etihad in the league. There is also a chance that they could play in the Champions League quarter-finals.

This weekend looks like another significant one in the title race, with Arsenal hosting Sunderland and City travelling to Anfield where they have a grim record. Perhaps the danger to City tonight is Guardiola rotating his team with an eye on that game and being caught out.

Newcastle certainly have the speed and attacking menace to trouble an unstable City defence, but they will have to improve on a dreadful away record. Across the league and the Champions League this season, Newcastle have won just three of 16 matches on the road. They need to win by two goals just to send the tie to extra time.

Eddie Howe lined up with a roving front three of Harvey Barnes, Anthony Gordon and Anthony Elanga against Liverpool at the weekend, and against a City team who like to play the offside trap, prioritising pace could be wise. Alternatively, he could take the view that Yoanne Wissa and Nick Woltemade are fresh as they go in search of goals.

Newcastle hope to have Bruno Guimaraes back in their midfield, but they remain without Tino Livramento and Joelinton.

Will Guardiola take this opportunity to rest Erling Haaland now Omar Marmoush is available again? Haaland has scored just twice in 10 appearances since the turn of the year.

Full team news on the way shortly.