Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, praised Omar Marmoush following his impressive first-half double against Newcastle United, which secured a spot in the Carabao Cup final for the Blues against Arsenal.
Manchester City achieved a solid 3-1 victory over the Magpies in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final at the Etihad Stadium, advancing to another cup final with a 5-1 aggregate win. This sets up a showdown against Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal at Wembley.
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Since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations in January, Marmoush has settled in well at the Etihad following a slow start to the 2025-26 season, where he struggled for consistent playing time during the first half of the campaign.
The 26-year-old transferred to Manchester City from Eintracht Frankfurt for £59 million in January 2025 and played a key role in helping the team secure a third-place finish in the Premier League for the 2024-25 season, qualify for this season’s UEFA Champions League, and reach the 2025 FA Cup final.
City is again vying for trophies on multiple fronts, although there are questions about whether the eight-time Premier League champions have enough stamina to challenge league leaders Arsenal while also pursuing success in the cup competitions.
Wednesday night’s win against Newcastle was perhaps the most comfortable Manchester City has appeared in weeks, especially coming off a stretch where they secured only one victory in their last six Premier League matches, allowing Arsenal to build a six-point lead at the top.
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Erling Haaland has faced difficulties in front of goal recently, and while the arrival of Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth in January has eased some of the scoring pressure on him, City has not been firing on all cylinders in attack lately.
Yet, Marmoush is finding his rhythm at the perfect moment, and with a crucial Premier League match against Liverpool on the horizon this weekend, Guardiola has highlighted the 26-year-old’s knack for scoring.
“His movement is really, really exceptional. He has an incredible sense of goal,” Guardiola stated in an interview with Sky Sports following City’s 3-1 victory over Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg.
“The first goal was a bit fortunate, but it’s not lucky when you play with such passion and love. I’m really happy for him.”
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Marmoush may have earned a place in Manchester City’s starting lineup against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, as the Blues can afford no mistakes while chasing down Arsenal amidst a rough patch in the Premier League.
With Jeremy Doku likely to remain sidelined, Marmoush could prove crucial for City in what has historically been a challenging fixture for Guardiola, who understands the urgent need for the Blues to turn their fortunes around if they want a serious shot at the Premier League title as the season progresses.