Rayan Cherki shines as Man City beat Brentford to reach Carabao Cup semi-finals

By Ian Parker, Press Association

Rayan Cherki’s superb first-half strike helped Manchester City reach the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup with a 2-0 win over Brentford.

Cherki produced a rare moment of quality in the game when he arrowed a shot into the top corner in the 32nd minute, and a deflected Savinho strike killed off the contest midway through the second half as City reached the last four for the first time since they last won this competition in 2021.

It was Cherki’s fourth goal in a City shirt. The 22-year-old Frenchman had an injury-disrupted start to life at the club after his £30 million summer move from Lyon but is starting to blossom now and was the best player on the pitch until his withdrawal in the 66th minute.

City were sporting seven changes from Sunday’s 3-0 win at Crystal Palace and Brentford six from their 1-1 draw with Leeds, and both took time to settle in relentless Manchester rain.

Once they did, it was City doing the attacking. Rico Henry stopped Oscar Bobb from going one-one-one but on the next attack slipped as the winger broke into the box, only to shoot straight at Hakon Valdimarsson.

It was the Norwegian’s last contribution as he went down with an apparent hamstring problem, replaced by Phil Foden.

Brentford wanted a red card in the 16th minute, and they had a case as Abdukodir Khusanov’s last-ditch challenge brought down Kevin Schade as he looked ready to shoot from the edge of the box, but referee Sam Barrott produced only a yellow.

The injury to Bobb meant Mathias Jensen had to wait to take a free-kick that James Trafford pushed clear.

Cherki had been at the heart of City’s best moves and lit up the game in the 32nd minute.

Valdimarsson collided with Schade as he headed away Divine Mukasa’s corner, but he cleared it only as far as Cherki who side-stepped Mikkel Damsgaard before unleashing a strike that Henry could only help on its way into the top corner.

The Frenchman revelled in the moment as he pulled out not one but two of Erling Haaland’s celebrations – the robot and the zen pose – and got a nod of approval from the Norwegian on the bench.

Brentford were much better at the start of the second half. Kristoffer Ajer strode forward to hit a powerful shot that Trafford pushed away, and from the resulting throw-in, Michael Kayode tested the goalkeeper from a tight angle.

Schade then looked to break on Khusanov again but this time the defender got the better of him.

Foden brought a save out of Valdimarsson but City were second best at this stage and Pep Guardiola made the changes – Cherki among those making way as Bernardo Silva, Josko Gvardiol and Matheus Nunes were introduced.

They had barely taken up their positions when Savinho doubled City’s lead, bursting forward on to Tijjani Reijnders’ pass and beating Valdimarsson with the help of a big deflection off the backtracking Ajer.

Mukasa and Savinho tested Valdimarsson further but City had already done enough.