Birmingham City vs Newcastle United

St. Andrew’s Stadium is the venue as Birmingham City and Newcastle United go head-to-head in a ‘David vs Goliath’ FA Cup tie.

Birmingham’s FA Cup journey started with a 2-1 away win against Blackpool before the same scoreline saw them oust Lincoln in the last round. Those results form part of the home side’s incredible 18-match unbeaten streak in all competitions (W15, D3), including three consecutive single-goal margin victories in the build-up to this fixture. The Blues haven’t met Newcastle since the two teams shared the stage in the Championship eight years ago. However, the memories are anything but fond, with Birmingham failing to win any of the last eight H2Hs (D3, L5), conceding 2+ goals on five occasions. If there was a time to turn the corner, it’s now as Chris Davies’ men head into proceedings amid a stellar 13-game unbeaten run on home turf (W11, D2).

Meanwhile, Newcastle United’s pursuit of their first major domestic title since 1955 received the ultimate boost during midweek League Cup action as they beat Arsenal 2-0 to book a place in the grand final for the second time in three years. However, the last time the Magpies featured in the FA Cup showpiece was in the 20th century! Consistency has been an issue for Eddie Howe’s side lately as they’ve alternated between victories (3) and defeats (2) across their last five competitive outings. High scoring has been the only common denominator, with four of those five games producing 3+ goals, including a 3-1 thumping of Premier League basement boys Southampton on their most recent travel.