Birmingham vs Newcastle LIVE: FA Cup result and reaction as Willock wins it late on for Magpies
Birmingham 2-3 Newcastle: Magpies recovered from conceding within 44 seconds to overcome the League One leaders
Joe Willock’s brace helped Newcastle United eke past Birmingham City in an FA Cup thriller to progress into the fifth round of the competition.
Birmingham took the lead inside a minute through ex-Man United prodigy Ethan Laird, who smashed past Nick Pope with the help of a deflection from Callum Wilson.
The Magpies then flipped the game on its head thanks to two goals that didn’t go without controversy from Willock and Wilson, with many questioning if Newcastle’s equaliser fully went over the line.
However, the highlight of the first half came when Tomoki Iwata leathered it into the top-right corner to draw parity for the Blues - an early goal of the tournament contender.
After a fiery second half, Willock’s second of the night sealed Newcastle’s win late on, ending Birmingham’s hopes of a major Premier League scalp in the cup.
Relive all the FA Cup action with our live blog below:
Magpies chasing a cup double?
The FA Cup could form part of a cup double for Newcastle, who are already planning on trip to Wembley after reaching the EFL Cup final on Wednesday night with a 2-0 victory over Arsenal.
However, the Magpies will be eager for a smoother ride at St. Andrew’s after suffering an early scare in their third round tie against Bromley - conceding the first goal before eventually toppling the League Two outfit 3-1.
Predicted line-ups
Birmingham XI: Allsop; Klarer, Davies, Cochrane; Laird, Dowell, Iwata, Gardner-Hickman, Anderson; Dykes, Stansfield.
Newcastle XI: Dubravka; Trippier, Schar, Krafth, Targett; Miley, Tonali, Longstaff; Murphy, Wilson, Osula.
Newcastle wary of danger man Stansfield
It’s no secret Jay Stansfield has ability that far outweighs the competition in League 1.
The division’s record signing has backed up the hype with 14 goals in 21 matches, averaging a goal every 116 minutes.
Both he and Alfie May are more than equipped to give the visitors issues, particularly as Newcastle might be suffering after a busy schedule.
Odds and prediction
Odds
Birmingham win - 9/1
Draw - 4/1
Newcastle win - 1/2
Prediction
Even a much-rested Newcastle side should have more than enough for the League One leaders.
Birmingham 0-2 Newcastle.
Birmingham vs Newcastle: What is the team news?
In his pre-match conference, Eddie Howe confirmed that Sven Botman will miss the weekend’s match after picking up a knock against Arsenal.
The Magpies boss also hinted that he would make several changes, with Callum Wilson and Emil Krafth both in contention to start, alongside William Osula, Matt Targett and Sean Longstaff.
Birmingham vs Newcastle: What is the team news?
For the hosts, Lee Buchanan is the only long-term injury, with the left-back ruled out for the rest of the season.
Birmingham boss Davies will hope to welcome back Paik Seung Ho after the South Korean has missed the last few weeks of action, while Willum Willumsson could also return. Tomoki Iwata made his return against Huddersfield last month, and should be fit to start once again.
Is Birmingham vs Newcastle on TV? Kick-off time, channel and how to watch FA Cup fixture
When is Birmingham vs Newcastle?
The FA Cup fixture will kick off at 5.45pm GMT on Saturday 8 February at St Andrews in Birmingham.
What TV channel is it on?
This fixture will be shown free-to-air on BBC One in the UK, with subscribers also able to watch online via BBC iPlayer. Coverage begins at 5.30pm.
Good afternoon
Birmingham City host Newcastle United in the fourth round of the FA Cup tonight, with the League One leaders looking to bring an upset at St Andrew’s.
Chris Davies’ side lead the third division by four points with two games in hand, putting them in a brilliant position ahead of the fourth round. And their advantage in the league means they can afford to put everything into trying to earn a famous upset this weekend.
Newcastle will still be buoyed by their 4-0 aggregate win over Arsenal in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup in midweek, with Eddie Howe’s team booking their place in a second League Cup final win three years.
And a likely much-changed Magpies side will want to get the business done against lower-league opposition as they continue to hunt an end to the club’s 70-year trophy drought.
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