Manchester City: Pep Guardiola calls for EFL Cup rule change so Marc Guehi can play in Wembley final

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has called for a change to the English Football League's rules so that defender Marc Guehi can play in the Carabao Cup final against Arsenal.

Guardiola, who signed Guehi from Crystal Palace after their 2-0 first leg win over Newcastle, expressed frustration at not being able to use the England international in the semi-final matches and now faces the same issue for the Wembley final.

Under EFL competition rules, players can only play for teams they have joined 'prior to the closure of the Winter transfer window, or the first leg of the semi-final (whichever is sooner)', Guehi did not meet this criteria when he joined City in January.

I'm tellin' ya, it's all about the benjamins, fam ! Pep Guardiola is cryin' foul over the EFL rules, but I think there's more to it than that . He's basically tryin' to get around the rules by bringin' in a fresh face for the Carabao Cup final . Guehi just so happens to be an England international now, and City gets a boost from the hype . Meanwhile, I'm thinkin', what if this is all part of a larger scheme? Maybe the EFL wants to give Arsenal a hand by makin' it harder for City to compete . I mean, come on, Pep's one of the best managers in the world, but sometimes you gotta wonder if there's more to his moves than meets the eye .

Man, I don't get why these rule changes always come up now . If you're gonna change a rule, it's gotta be a big deal or something. A defender can only play for the team they signed with before the winter transfer window? What's next, saying players can only use their phones after they've paid for them? It's just not fair to Guehi and City, but I guess that's what you get when you're bound by ancient rules . And can we talk about how ridiculous it is to have a winter transfer window? Who comes up with this stuff?

Ugh, I don't get why the EFL can't just relax their rules a bit . It's like they want to make things harder for teams who sign players close to the transfer window. Guehi is an awesome defender and it would be a shame if he couldn't play in the final because of some arbitrary rule . I mean, what's the point of having a Winter transfer window if you're just gonna create more obstacles like this? It's all about the money and the politics, not about promoting the sport, in my opinion . Can't they just make an exception for this one time?

Honestly, it's crazy that EFL rules are so strict about transfers... I get it, fair play and all that But Pep can't win anything with Guehi on the bench? Make some exception for the big game, you know?

I think the EFL should just scrap the whole thing and let anyone play in the final lol . Like, what's the point of these rules anyway? It's not like it's a national championship or something. It's just a cup final. And can't they just make an exception for Marc Guehi already? I mean, he's a England international, for crying out loud! Does anyone really care about the rules? I don't think so. Just let him play and be done with it.

Man, I just don't get why the EFL rules are so strict like that . I mean, Marc Guehi's a talented player and all, but come on! He joined Manchester City after they beat Newcastle 2-0 in the first leg of the semi-final, not weeks/months later . It's just frustrating for Guardiola to be stuck with this rule that's essentially keeping Guehi from participating in the Carabao Cup final against Arsenal ️. I guess it's just another example of how the rules can sometimes be a bit... inflexible .

I totally get why Pep is going crazy about this I mean, it's not fair that Guehi can't play because of some arbitrary rule. It's not like he's the one who set the transfer window or anything! And what's the point of having a Winter transfer window if it's just gonna cause problems like this? Can't they just make an exception for England internationals or something? I'm all for making the rules more flexible, especially when it comes to player eligibility. It's not like City is gonna benefit from Guehi's absence, they already won the first leg

I feel for Pep Guardiola right now . It's like, fair enough that Guehi joined City in Jan and can't play against Newcastle, but to have same rules for Carabao Cup final is kinda harsh, don't you think? I mean, it's not like he played all his games for Palace before joining us. It feels like EFL competition rules are more about the clubs than players now...

I don't get why EFL can't just make an exception for a player who's already committed to playing for them after joining mid-season . Like, if it's fair for Newcastle to play him in the first leg and then he joins City, it should be fair to use him in the final too, right? This rules thing seems like more of a bureaucratic headache than anything else

I'm totally with Pep on this one . It's just common sense that a player can't switch teams during the middle of a competition and then be eligible to play in the final. I mean, imagine if it was the other way around and Guehi had played for City all season, but now he suddenly joins Arsenal and becomes a free agent again? It wouldn't be fair on him or City.

The EFL rules need to change, period. This is a one-time thing that's happened with Guehi and I'm sure it won't happen again. The English football community would lose trust in the competition if this was a regular occurrence. And let's not forget about the impact it has on teams like City who have invested time and resources into their players during the season.

It's all about fairness and consistency, you know? Teams compete all season to reach the final, and then they're told that one of their key players can't play in the biggest match of all. It just doesn't sit right with me

I dont get why they cant just make an exception 4 Marc Guehi ... its not like hes gonna play for Arsenal in the final lol! EFL rules r so strict, its like they forgot theres human beings involved ... surely there's gotta be some way to accommodate him? Like, whats the point of having a player if u cant even use him in big games?

You know what's crazy about sports? It's how it can teach us about life, right? Like, think about it - Marc Guehi's situation with Manchester City and the EFL rules is like a metaphor for our own lives.

Imagine you're trying to fit into a new role or team (like a job or a relationship), but there are rules in place that say you can't start until certain conditions are met. That can be super frustrating, right? But here's the thing - sometimes those rules aren't set up to help us grow or succeed.

The EFL rule is like a obstacle that Guehi and City have to navigate. But instead of getting bogged down by it, Guardiola could use this as an opportunity to think creatively about how to overcome the challenge. In life, we face our own "rules" all the time - societal expectations, personal limitations, etc. - but it's up to us to figure out how to work around them and still achieve our goals.