FA Cup | Fourth Round

Feb 8, 2025 at 5.45pm UK

St. Andrew's Stadium

Birmingham City vs Newcastle United

Match preview

Birmingham City had a terrible relegation from the Championship last season, just managing to avoid being bottom of the table by finishing a point behind Plymouth Argyle, who were 21st.

The Blues, who are gunning for an immediate return to the second division, are turning out to be a real powerhouse in League One, leading the way with 63 points from 27 games.

Chris Davies, in charge since June 2024, has led the side to 19 wins, six draws and only two losses in the league, leaving them four points above second-placed Wycombe Wanderers, while the Blues also have two games in hand on those directly below them.

Birmingham haven't lost in their last 18 games in all competitions, so they're feeling good about this one. But they're the underdogs, since their opponents are Premier League team.

Newcastle United are also doing well this season, sitting in sixth place in the Premier League and having made it to the EFL Cup final after beating Arsenal 4-0 on aggregate in the semi-finals.

The Magpies had a bit of a shaky start to the season, with only five wins from the first 15 league games, along with five losses and five draws.

But they then went on a run of form that saw them win 11 of their next 13 games, including a nine-game winning streak, after a 4-0 thrashing of Leicester City.

They'll be looking to keep that winning streak going in the weeks ahead, before their EFL Cup final. Eddie Howe wants to end Newcastle's 70-year wait for a trophy.

The Magpies will be feeling pretty confident about their chances ahead of this match, not just because of their recent good form, but also because they've been playing really well on the road this season, picking up 21 of their 41 points away from home in the league.

Recent Performance

Birmingham City FA Cup form:WWW

Birmingham City form (all competitions):WWDWWW

Newcastle United FA Cup form:W

Newcastle United form (all competitions):WWLWLW

Team News

Birmingham City have been lucky in their past matches, so Davies has a fully available squad to pick from for this matchup.

The Blues smashed the League One transfer record when they signed Jay Stansfield for a reported £15m, over £10m more than the previous record, and the signing has certainly paid off, netting 17 in 25 appearances; and he is expected to start once again here.

Meanwhile, the team that started their last league match against Rotherham United at the start of the month might be similar here.

Newcastle will be without Harvey Barnes (muscle), Jamaal Lascelles (cruciate ligament) and Joelinton (knee) due to injury.

After Saturday's match, Howe will be thinking about the big game against Manchester City the following weekend, so he might decide to rest some of his star players for this one.

Callum Wilson might lead the line ahead of Alexander Isak, while Joe Willock, Lewis Miley and Sean Longstaff could all come into the midfield ahead of Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon.

Possible starting lineup

Birmingham City possible starting lineup:

Allsop; Klarer, Davies, Cochrane; Laird, Dowell, Iwata, Gardner-Hickman, Anderson; Dykes, Stansfield

Newcastle United possible starting lineup:

Dubravka; Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn, Targett; Murphy, Miley, Longstaff, Willock; Wilson