Manchester City advanced to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals after overturning an early deficit to defeat Swansea City at the Swansea.com Stadium.
The Championship side stunned their visitors when Goncalo Franco produced a stunning finish, curling a 20-yard effort into the top corner following Josh Key’s assist after Melker Widell’s neat pass out wide.
Widell almost added a second soon after when he intercepted Abdukodir Khusanov’s misplaced ball, but James Trafford reacted sharply to tip his strike beyond the post. Swansea’s positive opening and quick tempo kept Pep Guardiola’s heavily rotated side under pressure during the early exchanges.
City, eight-time winners of the competition, equalized before halftime when Jeremy Doku’s effort took a heavy deflection off Cameron Burgess and wrong-footed the goalkeeper, rewarding the Premier League champions’ growing dominance.
City’s quality shows after the break
With Guardiola making ten changes and resting Erling Haaland, the visitors initially struggled for rhythm but gradually asserted control as Swansea began to tire.
Rayan Cherki, returning from injury, was denied by the post midway through the first half but continued to impress as City increased their grip on possession.
The breakthrough came with 13 minutes remaining when Cherki’s perfectly timed through-ball found Omar Marmoush, who struck powerfully into the net for his first goal of the season.
Cherki then capped his performance in stoppage time, guiding a precise low finish into the bottom corner to secure City’s place in the last eight, where they will host Brentford.
Reaction after Villa setback
After suffering their first defeat in ten matches at Aston Villa, City produced the response Guardiola wanted. Despite early defensive issues, they displayed patience and composure to wear down determined opponents.
Guardiola praised his side’s improvement after a slow start, noting how they gained control midway through the first half and maintained authority after the interval. The Spaniard described Swansea as “impressive,” acknowledging their bright opening and the difficulty of away ties in this competition.
The result sends City to the quarter-finals for only the second time since 2021, when they lifted the trophy for the fourth consecutive year.
Swansea’s fight earns respect
For Swansea, who had knocked out Nottingham Forest in the previous round, this spirited performance offered encouragement despite the defeat.
Their intensity and confidence in possession rattled City early on, with Franco’s strike setting the tone for a vibrant opening period in front of a sold-out home crowd.
Head coach Alan Sheehan praised his players for their attitude and work rate, saying they “had to be perfect” against such high-caliber opposition. Although they eventually ran out of energy, he highlighted the team’s honesty and commitment throughout.
If the Welsh club can replicate this energy consistently in the Championship, they will strengthen their chances of challenging for a playoff spot later in the campaign.
