Thrilling Newcastle Upset Shocks Manchester City in Carabao Cup Clash – Erling Haaland's Surprising Role Revealed!

Manchester City's unbeaten season came to a halt as they suffered a defeat against Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup. Despite having star striker Erling Haaland on the bench, Manchester City was unable to secure a victory. Newcastle, last year's runner-up, emerged victorious with a 1-0 score at St James Park thanks to Alexander Isak's goal following an impressive second-half display.

City controlled possession in the beginning of the game, with Julián Álvarez creating opportunities for the visiting team to take the lead.

After making substitutions at halftime, Newcastle displayed increased sharpness in their offensive play, particularly through Anthony Gordon and Bruno Guimarães. However, it was Isak who ultimately sealed the victory by scoring the crucial goal, capitalizing on Joelinton's powerful run and accurate cross into the penalty area.

City manager Pep Guardiola, not opting to bring in prolific goalscorer Haaland despite his remarkable record of eight goals in six Premier League games this season, decided to start 18-year-old Rico Lewis and 20-year-old Oscar Bobb instead. As the visitors pushed for an equalizer, Guardiola substituted Jeremy Doku, Matheus Nunes, and Phil Foden into the game. Nonetheless, the scoreline remained at 1-0, resulting in Guardiola experiencing an unfortunate third consecutive early exit in the Carabao Cup, following defeats against Southampton last year and West Ham the year before.

Erling Haaland remained on the bench throughout Wednesday's game.

After securing victories in the Premier League, Champions League, and FA Cup last year, Man City's defeat on Wednesday dashes their hopes of achieving an unprecedented quadruple this season.

"We still have a multitude of games awaiting us," Guardiola informed reporters following the match.

"We have individuals who have accumulated substantial playing time... I have consistently chosen this team composition in the Carabao Cup ever since my initial arrival. In this competition, I always grant the opportunity to those players who do not usually receive regular playing time."

Guardiola expressed his disappointment in not having the option to fly between Manchester and Newcastle before the game. City will now have to travel for three more away games, including a match against Wolves on Saturday, RB Leipzig in the Champions League on October 4, and Arsenal on October 8.

"We are unable to travel by plane for the return journey, so we rely on a bus which results in a two or three-hour delay," he mentioned before facing Newcastle. "This causes us to arrive very late...and on Friday we have to travel to Wolves."

For Newcastle, this win marked their third victory in four games and paves the way for an exciting encounter against Manchester United on October 30 – a rematch of last year's Carabao Cup final.

Alexander Isak (right) scored the game's only goal.

Serena Taylor/Newcastle United/Getty Images

Manager Eddie Howe expressed his satisfaction with the players and the effort they put in, stating, "I am thrilled with the players, thrilled with the level of commitment they showed." He acknowledged that the first half of the game was challenging, praising the opposing team for their excellent performance. However, he highlighted that the second half displayed a completely transformed and improved performance. Newcastle's upcoming Premier League match is against Burnley on Saturday.