Newcastle United look to build on their Carabao Cup semi-final success as they travel to in-form Birmingham City for an FA Cup fourth-round clash on Saturday evening.
The Magpies secured a 2-0 win over Arsenal on Wednesday to book their place in the Carabao Cup final, inching closer to their first major silverware since 1955. However, Eddie Howe’s men now face a tricky FA Cup encounter against League One high-flyers Birmingham, who are currently riding an 18-game unbeaten streak.
Can Newcastle’s firepower outshine Birmingham’s impressive form, or will the Blues pull off an FA Cup shock at St Andrew’s?
Match Details
📍 Location: Birmingham, England
🏟️ Stadium: St Andrew’s
📅 Date: Saturday, 8 February 2025
⏰ Kick-off Time: 17:45 GMT / 12:45 ET / 09:45 PT
👨⚖️ Referee: Matthew Donohue
📺 VAR: Not in use
Head-to-Head Record (Last 5 Games)
- Birmingham Wins: 0
- Newcastle Wins: 3
- Draws: 2
- Last Meeting: Birmingham 0-0 Newcastle (18 March 2017) – Championship
Current Form (All Competitions)
Birmingham
✅ 1-0 vs Stevenage – 04/02/25
✅ 2-1 vs Rotherham – 01/02/25
✅ 1-0 vs Huddersfield – 28/01/25
🤝 1-1 vs Wrexham – 23/01/25
✅ 1-0 vs Exeter – 18/01/25
Newcastle
✅ 2-0 vs Arsenal – 05/02/25
❌ 1-2 vs Fulham – 01/02/25
✅ 3-1 vs Southampton – 25/01/25
❌ 1-4 vs Bournemouth – 18/01/25
✅ 3-0 vs Wolves – 15/01/25
Birmingham Team News
Chris Davies is expected to stick with a similar lineup to the one that secured a 1-0 win over Stevenage in League One.
🔴 Unavailable Players:
- Lee Buchanan (season-ending injury)
✅ Returning Players:
- Paik Seung-ho (back in contention)
- Willum Willumsson (in good form before injury, could feature)
Key Players to Watch:
🔥 Jay Stansfield – The 22-year-old forward has 17 goals this season and will be Birmingham’s biggest attacking threat.
🛡️ Grant Hanley – Former Newcastle defender could face his old club.
Birmingham Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1)
GK: Allsopp
DEF: Laird – Klarer – Davies – Cochrane
MID: Dowell – Iwata
ATT: Anderson – Leonard – Stansfield
ST: May
Newcastle Team News
Newcastle have a few injury concerns but also some returning players who could make an impact.
🔴 Unavailable Players:
- Joelinton (injured)
- Harvey Barnes (injured)
- Jamaal Lascelles (injured)
- Sven Botman (midweek knock, not risked)
✅ Returning Players:
- Emil Krafth (first appearance since October)
- Callum Wilson (returned midweek)
⚠️ Possible Rotations:
Eddie Howe may rest key players after the Carabao Cup semi-final, meaning fringe players like Sean Longstaff, Joe Willock, and William Osula could start.
Newcastle Predicted Lineup (4-3-3)
GK: Pope
DEF: Livramento – Schar – Burn – Targett
MID: Miley – Longstaff – Willock
ATT: Murphy – Wilson – Osula
Match Prediction
Despite Birmingham’s fantastic unbeaten streak, they haven’t faced a team of Newcastle’s caliber this season. The Magpies have too much attacking firepower, even if Howe rotates his squad.
Birmingham’s defense has been solid, but Newcastle’s experience and depth should see them through, especially with players like Isak and Gordon available from the bench.
Prediction: Birmingham 0-2 Newcastle
Will Newcastle continue their cup run, or can Birmingham pull off an upset? Let us know your thoughts! ⚽🔥
