Pep Guardiola wants Carabao Cup rule change and will write to EFL before final | Football | Sport

Pep Guardiola is ready to write to the EFL, the Carabao Cup’s organisers, to ensure that Manchester City have Marc Guehi available for the final against Arsenal next month. City beat Newcastle 3-1 at the Etihad in the second leg of their semi-final on Wednesday night, securing a 5-1 aggregate victory. While January signing Antoine Semenyo started after scoring the first goal of the tie at St James’ Park, Guehi was ineligible due to strict rules.

Winger Semenyo joined City from Bournemouth on January 9 and played away at Newcastle four days later. While Guehi was unveiled by the Citizens on January 19 after joining from Crystal Palace. And because he joined after the first leg of the semis had already been played, Rule 6.4 stipulates that the centre-half could not face the Magpies at the Etihad. He also will not be allowed to feature when City face Premier League leaders Arsenal at Wembley on March 22.

An annoyed Guardiola told Sky Sports post-match: “It would be good for more of them [to win a cup final]. You have to live this experience. For many of these players the first time we won a trophy in our era here was in the Carabao Cup nine years ago. It helped us to win more.

“It’s a pleasure to play against Arsenal, the best team right now in Europe, maybe in the world. For many things, the stats, consistency and the many details they control. As much as you play against them, it will make us a better team.

“Hopefully in March we can arrive with the players fit. Hopefully we can convince the Carabao Cup [organisers] that Marc can play this competition in the final. It’s difficult to understand, the club make a big investment to take one player, who belongs to us…

“I don’t understand why he can’t play the final. Honestly. Hopefully we make a letter and hopefully the Carabao Cup or whatever, they can understand that once you buy a player for a lot of money and he’s not available to play for a rule, hopefully they can change it and he can play.”

Sky Sports pundit and former goalkeeper Shay Given, who played for both Newcastle and Man City during his career, said: “It’s a shame Marc Guehi isn’t going to be allowed to play because of the rules. I think once you play in the competition you shouldn’t be allowed to play. If they say Semenyo’s allowed to play, Guehi should be as well. You should be cup-tied but if Guehi’s played for Palace, the same as Semenyo’s played for Bournemouth, you should be allowed to play in the final.

“I don’t agree with the whole thing. Marc Guehi signs a week after Semenyo and he can’t play. Next week Semenyo could get his hands on that trophy and Guehi, who signs maybe a week later, can’t.

“I don’t want to use the word farcical, but I’ve used it! Forget my dinosaur views on it, what I’m saying is, if you’re looking at the defensive side of things. Marc Guehi in the final would make them much more solid against a brilliant Arsenal team. He’d make a big difference wouldn’t he?”

While Micah Richards the ex-City defender said: “Rules are rules aren’t they? Do I agree? I understand Pep’s frustrations. You’ve just spent all that money on a player and you want him to play of course. But at the start of the season, the rules are the rules.”