FA Cup Third Round: Newcastle United Qualify For 4th Round

Newcastle United defeated rivals Sunderland 3-0 in the Wear-Tyne derby at the Stadium of Light to qualify for the FA Cup’s fourth round.

Newcastle United pressured Sunderland until the hosts’ defender Dan Ballard scored an own goal ten minutes before halftime by cutting Joelinton’s cross.

In less than a minute in the second half, Newcastle took total control of their first Wear-Tyne derby since 2016 when Miguel Almiron grabbed the ball from Pierre Ekwah and squared for Alexander Isak to score into an open net.

Isak scored his second goal from the penalty spot in the final seconds of regulation time after Ballard had pulled down Anthony Gordon in the box.

Sunderland, a Championship team, appeared feeble against their Premier League opponents in the first forty-five minutes of play, managing just one shot and twenty-eight percent of the possession. But in the second half, they improved and put goalie Martin Dubravka through several tests.

The Slovakian international made several outstanding saves to deny Alex Pritchard and Ekwah, ensuring Newcastle won at the Stadium of Light for the first time since 2011.

Since taking over Newcastle in November 2021, Eddie Howe has not won the FA Cup; in the two seasons before, Sheffield Wednesday and Cambridge both eliminated him in the third round.

With the win, the Magpies’ four-match losing streak in all competitions comes to an end and they will be looking forward to progressing further in the FA Cup campaign.