Semenyo scores again as Man City beats Newcastle 2-0 in English League Cup semifinal

New Manchester City signing Antoine Semenyo scored his second goal in as many games as Pep Guardiola's team moved within reach of the English League Cup final with a 2-0 win over Newcastle on Tuesday.

The forward, who joined City from Bournemouth for $87 million last week, struck the opening goal in the semifinal first leg at St James' Park, with substitute Rayan Cherki scoring the second in time added on.

Semenyo also scored on his debut in the 10-1 rout of Exeter in the FA Cup over the weekend.

“The whole environment here is perfect,” he said. “Everyone is confident and wanting to achieve the best. I’ve just come into that and they’ve helped me with my confidence and they’ve made me feel welcome.”

It could have been even better for the Ghana international, who saw a brilliantly taken back-heeled goal ruled out for a marginal offside.

The 26-year-old Semenyo is already looking like a shrewd buy for City after establishing himself as one of the Premier League's top talents for Bournemouth. He scored 10 goals for the Cherries this season.

“He's not just a very good player, but a very good guy, which helps, which fits into the team,” City captain Bernardo Silva told ITV Sport. “He's a fantastic guy who wants to play collectively, wants to help, wants to have fun and we are delighted with the way he's started.”

Semenyo has added another dimension to City's attack as Guardiola targets four trophies this term.

The League Cup could be the first of those, with City holding a two-goal advantage against holder Newcastle heading into next month's second leg at its Etihad Stadium.

Semenyo converted from close range with a simple finish in the 53rd minute to put City ahead. He looked like he’d scored a far more spectacular second with a backheel volley — but after a lengthy VAR check, it was ruled out because Erling Haaland was in an offside position.

City had to wait until the eighth minute of added time to double the lead, with Cherki slipping a shot past past Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope from inside the box.

That goal has left Newcastle with a mountain to climb it is to keep hold of the trophy it won last year to end a 70-year wait for major domestic silverware.

Eddie Howe's team had its chances, with Yoane Wissa and Bruno Guimaraes both hitting the frame of the goal within seconds of each other in the second half.

City is an eight-time winner of the League Cup, with Guardiola lifting it on four occasions since taking over the club. City last won it in 2021.

City's four-pronged trophy hunt this term follows last season when it finished empty-handed for the first time in eight years.

Trailing Premier League leader Arsenal by six points, second-place City is also well-positioned in the Champions League and is into the fourth round of the FA Cup.

The other League Cup semifinal sees Chelsea host Arsenal in the first leg on Wednesday.

James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Manchester City's head coach Pep Guardiola drinks water as he attends the start of the English League Cup semifinal first leg soccer match between Newcastle and Manchester City in Newcastle, England, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)

Manchester City's Rayan Cherki celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the English League Cup semifinal first leg soccer match between Newcastle and Manchester City in Newcastle, England, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)

Manchester City's Rayan Cherki celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the English League Cup semifinal first leg soccer match between Newcastle and Manchester City in Newcastle, England, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)

Manchester City's Antoine Semenyo celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the English League Cup semifinal first leg soccer match between Newcastle and Manchester City in Newcastle, England, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)

Manchester City's Antoine Semenyo, left, celebrates a goal that was later disallowed by a VAR decision during the English League Cup semifinal first leg soccer match between Newcastle and Manchester City in Newcastle, England, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)

Snowboarder Chloe Kim says she's “good to go” for the Milan Cortina Olympics despite tearing the labrum in her shoulder during a training run last week in Switzerland.

Now comes a race against the clock to see if she can get ready for a contest that starts in less than a month.

The winner of the last two Olympic gold medals in the halfpipe posted an update to Instagram on Tuesday, saying she wasn't surprised to learn she had torn her labrum — the lining of the socket that holds the shoulder together. She did not say which shoulder she injured when she fell while getting ready for this weekend's Laax Open.

“There are two ways to do it, and the way I did it is less severe than the other, so I'm really happy about that,” she said. “Obviously, I’m really disappointed that I can’t snowboard until right before the Olympics, which is going to be hard. I haven’t gotten nearly the amount of reps that I would have liked, but that’s OK.”

The women's Olympic halfpipe contest starts Feb. 11.

The 25-year-old Kim, who already has qualified for the U.S. team, would be the heavy favorite to win in Italy if she’s completely healthy. She said she won’t compete this weekend in Laax. She didn’t mention the Winter X Games in Aspen later this month, which are the last big contest before the Olympics.

Kim has only been in one competition this season — last month in Copper Mountain — and while warming up for the final there, she suffered a shoulder injury, as well.

Last week, she posted video of her fall in Switzerland, which showed her skittering across the halfpipe after losing her bearings on the landing of a jump. At that time, she said she dislocated the shoulder and wasn't in that much pain. An MRI from last Friday revealed the labrum tear.

In her video, Kim said she’ll have to wear a “super-sexy shoulder brace” that is uncomfortable.

“I went through a bunch of different waves of emotions, but honestly, I’m really excited for this week,” she said.

The end of the video flashed to her picking up her boyfriend, Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, at a train station.

“I’m so grateful to be able to do this even though the lows can get pretty damn low,” Kim wrote on the post that went along with her video. “Excited for a week of exploration!”

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

FILE - Gold medalist Chloe Kim of USA in action during the Snowboard Halfpipe competition at the FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships in St. Moritz, Switzerland, Saturday, March 29, 2025. (Gian Ehrenzeller/Keystone via AP, File)

FILE - United States' Chloe Kim trains before the women's halfpipe finals at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Feb. 10, 2022, in Zhangjiakou, China. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, File)