Manchester City’s path to the Carabao Cup final has become significantly steeper after the FA Cup fourth-round draw landed them a nightmare trip to Newcastle United, handing them a major fixture handicap just weeks before they face Arsenal at Wembley.
Newcastle Nightmare: City’s Road to Carabao Cup Glory Gets Rocky
While Premier League leaders Arsenal celebrated a kind draw away to League One side Mansfield Town, Pep Guardiola’s side must head back to St James’ Park for the third time this season.
The visit adds a grueling 290-mile round trip to City’s already congested schedule, piling the pressure on the squad ahead of the March 2 final.
The contrast in fortunes is stark. Arsenal will likely rest key players against non-league opposition, allowing Mikel Arteta to rotate heavily.
City, however, face an Eddie Howe team they know well; the Magpies defeated them at St James’ Park in November and pushed them hard in the two-legged Carabao Cup semi-final.
The fixture computer has compounded City’s woes. Two weeks before the final, while Arsenal enjoy a short trip to Mansfield, City will battle Newcastle in a high-stakes FA Cup clash.
The following week, Guardiola’s men face three consecutive away games: a Champions League last-16 first leg, the Newcastle FA Cup replay, and a Saturday night Premier League trip to West Ham.
For Arsenal, the equation is simpler. Their journey to Wembley on March 2 is a 22-mile round trip. For City, it is a 410-mile round trip to London, effectively making it an away fixture.
Guardiola joked about playing a final in the north after his side secured their 22nd Wembley appearance under his tenure, but the reality is a punishing schedule.
The FA Cup draw has sent Arsenal’s travel for that fortnight soaring to 302 miles, but City’s has skyrocketed to a staggering 1,150 miles.
With the Champions League last-16 sandwiched in between, the extra 290 miles to Newcastle and back could prove the decisive handicap in the race for the first silverware of the season.
