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Manchester City eased into the semi-finals of the League Cup with a 2-0 home win over Brentford on Wednesday, and will meet holders Newcastle United who needed an added-time Lewis Miley goal to beat Fulham 2-1 at St James' Park, Reuters reported. 

Chelsea, who won 3-1 at Cardiff City on Tuesday, will face either Arsenal or Crystal Palace, who contest the last quarter-final next Tuesday, in the other two-legged semi-final.

Pep Guardiola made seven changes from the City side which won 3-0 at Crystal Palace on Sunday but the hosts had little trouble seeing off Brentford who offered very little going forward, according to Reuters. 

Kylian Mbappe moved tantalisingly close to Cristiano Ronaldo's calendar-year scoring record for Real Madrid with a brace as they earned a 3-2 victory at third-tier Talavera de la Reina on Wednesday to reach the Copa del Rey's last 16 after a pulsating encounter, Reuters reported. 

The French striker's two goals, combined with an own-goal by defender Manuel Farrando, proved enough despite strikes from Nahuel Arroyo and Gonzalo Di Renzo that threatened to spoil Real's evening in front of a raucous crowd.

Mbappe, who came into the game with 56 goals scored in all competitions in 2025, is now one goal shy of the 59-goal calendar-year record set by Ronaldo in 2013, according to Reuters. 

Paris St-Germain and France forward Ousmane Dembele has been named the men's player of the year at the Fifa Best awards, BBC reported. 

The 28-year-old, who won the Ballon d'Or in September, picked up the Fifa award in Qatar on Tuesday after helping PSG to four trophies in the 2024-25 season.

The former Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund player, who joined PSG in 2023, had 51 goal contributions in 53 games for Luis Enrique's side last term.

After helping PSG to a first Champions League triumph, Dembele beat Barcelona's Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe to the prestigious individual award, according to BBC. 

Chelsea held off League One leaders Cardiff City to secure their place in the EFL Cup semi-finals with a hard-fought and absorbing win in south Wales, BBC reported. 

Roared on by a fervent capacity crowd at Cardiff City Stadium, the home side impressed in and out of possession as they contained their Premier League opponents and showed flashes of their own attacking threat in a goalless first half.

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca had changed his entire team from Saturday's Premier League victory over Everton, which had been overshadowed by his post-match comment that the preceding 48 hours had been the "worst" of his tenure, according to BBC.