Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola appeared in a press conference following the 2-0 victory over Newcastle United in the first leg of the English League Cup semi-final at the Etihad Stadium.

The coach said after the end of the match: "It was a very good performance. We are now close to reaching the final. This is the first step towards achieving it."

He added regarding the improvement in Erling Haaland and Antoine Semenyo's performance in the second half: "They were not completely in sync. They were not ready to receive the ball. But they were ready in the second half."

About Antoine Seminio: "We know that Bournemouth performed brilliantly with him, and every time the ball reaches him, he is always present."

And regarding the cancellation of Seminio's second goal, he concluded: "Four referees and the video assistant referee technology were unable to make the decision, and they had to refer back to the main referee. We know how things go, and this will make us stronger. What matters is how we respond in such situations. It's the semi-final. We are playing for a lot to reach the final. This will make us stronger."