Manchester City produced a dominant second-half performance to overturn an early deficit and secure a 3–1 victory over Swansea City at the Swansea.com Stadium, sealing their spot in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, according to BBC Sport.
It was Rayan Cherki who stole the show, earning the Player of the Match award after a brilliant all-round display that inspired City’s comeback.
Swansea made a dream start when Gonçalo Franco curled a stunning 20-yard strike past James Trafford in the 12th minute after fine build-up play involving Melker Widell and Josh Key. The Championship side continued to threaten, with Widell forcing Trafford into another smart save after a defensive mix-up from Abdukodir Khusanov.
City, who made ten changes from their Premier League defeat to Aston Villa, gradually settled and began to dictate play. Their pressure paid off six minutes before half-time when Jeremy Doku cut inside from the left and saw his low effort deflect off Cameron Burgess and wrong-foot goalkeeper Andy Fisher, drawing Pep Guardiola’s side level.
After the break, City took full control — and Cherki was at the heart of everything good. The French midfielder hit the post early in the second half before delivering a defence-splitting pass in the 77th minute to set up Omar Marmoush, who rifled home his first goal for the club since May.
With Swansea fading, Cherki capped off his outstanding performance in stoppage time. Collecting a pass from Joško Gvardiol, he calmly slotted a low shot into the far corner to seal a convincing 3–1 win — his first goal since August.
Swansea’s brave effort drew applause from the 20,490 fans in attendance, but they couldn’t withstand City’s second-half dominance.
For Manchester City, this result marked a professional recovery and another step toward potential silverware, as they now prepare to face Brentford in the quarter-finals.
Cherki’s creativity, composure, and match-winning influence made him the undisputed Player of the Match, underscoring why he’s quickly becoming one of Guardiola’s most exciting young stars.
