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Manchester City’s appeal to let Marc Guehi play in the Carabao Cup final against Arsenal was reportedly rejected by the EFL.
Man City’s Marc Guehi (AFP)
Pep Guardiola can argue all he wants — the EFL isn’t budging.
Manchester City’s attempt to get Marc Guehi cleared for the Carabao Cup final has been firmly rejected, with the league shutting down any hopes of the new signing featuring against Arsenal at Wembley.
According to Sky Sports, City appealed to the English Football League to allow Guehi to play in the final, but the request was quickly dismissed.
The defender, who joined from Crystal Palace in January, was already ruled out of the semi-final and will now miss the showpiece entirely.
City booked their spot in the final with a composed 3–1 second-leg win over Newcastle on Wednesday night, but Guehi once again watched from the sidelines — not through injury or rotation, but because of a technicality City knew they were pushing against.
Why Guehi can’t play
The issue comes down to timing — and the EFL’s updated Rule 6.4.2.
Players can represent more than one club in the competition only if they are registered before either the end of the winter transfer window or the first leg of the semi-final, whichever comes first.
That nuance mattered.
City played the first leg of the semi-final on January 13. Antoine Semenyo, who signed on January 9, was eligible — and even scored. Guehi, however, completed his move on January 19.
The result? Semenyo can play at Wembley. Guehi can’t.
Guardiola fumes — but knows the answer
Guardiola wasn’t impressed and made his feelings crystal clear earlier last night.
“Why should he not play? Why not?” Guardiola said. “He’s our player, we pay his salary… I don’t understand the reason why he cannot play in the final.”
The City boss admitted the rule was unlikely to change but still felt the club had to ask. They did. The EFL said no.
And that’s that.
The league has stood firm, leaving Guardiola to reshuffle once again as City prepare for a massive final against Premier League leaders Arsenal on March 22.
February 05, 2026, 16:59 IST
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