Newcastle United vs Manchester City – Match preview and team news

St James’ Park is braced for a seismic FA Cup fifth-round collision tonight as Newcastle United welcome Manchester City for the fifth instalment of their 2025-26 rivalry, a tie that carries the added prize of a quarter-final berth and fresh momentum for the victor.

Eddie Howe’s side arrive buoyed by Wednesday’s stirring 2-1 triumph over Manchester United, a contest that saw William Osula snatch glory in the 90th minute despite Newcastle playing the entire second half a man down after Jacob Ramsey’s red card. The dramatic success halted a wobble in league form and restored belief ahead of a daunting run that now includes cup, domestic and European obligations.

Yet recent history against City offers sobering context. While Newcastle edged the first meeting of the campaign in November, they have since suffered Carabao Cup semi-final elimination and a 2-1 league reverse at the Etihad on 21 February, underscoring the scale of the task against Pep Guardiola’s star-studded ensemble.

City, smarting from a 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest in which they twice relinquished leads, trail Premier League pacesetters Arsenal by seven points and have consequently placed greater emphasis on cup silverware. Their FA Cup pedigree is formidable: 23 consecutive wins in the third, fourth and fifth rounds since 2020, amassing an aggregate score of 89-11, and 18 victories from their last 20 ties over the past four seasons. The only blemishes in that span came in the 2024 and 2025 finals.

Guardiola must weigh rotation against continuity with a Champions League last-16 first leg at Real Madrid looming next week, but Erling Haaland is expected to start after completing 90 minutes against Forest following a minor injury scare.

Team news tilts heavily in City’s favour. Newcastle will be without Ramsey through suspension, while Bruno Guimarães (hamstring), Fabian Schär (ankle), Emil Krafth (knee) and Lewis Miley (thigh) remain in the treatment room. Tino Livramento is unlikely to be risked, yet Sandro Tonali returns from his own ban and Nick Woltemade could rejoin the squad after illness. Harvey Barnes, who has five goal involvements in seven home FA Cup starts, is poised for a key role.

City’s infirmary houses Joško Gvardiol (tibial fracture) and Mateo Kovačić (ankle/heel), while Nico O’Reilly is doubtful with an ankle knock. Guardiola may hand recalls to James Trafford, John Stones and Rico Lewis, but the spine of the side is expected to remain strong.

Statistically, the Magpies have progressed from nine of their last 10 fifth-round ties, including two previous FA Cup victories over City, and will seek to exploit home comforts where Barnes leads the club in both shots (8) and chances created (4) in this season’s competition. City, meanwhile, have profited from three own goals en route to the last 16, matching a Premier League record for a single campaign, and can become only the third team to eliminate Newcastle from both domestic cups in the same season.

Predicted line-ups suggest a blend of experience and youthful promise. Newcastle’s provisional 4-3-3 reads: Pope; Trippier, Thiaw, Botman, Hall; Willock, Tonali, Joelinton; Barnes, Woltemade, Gordon. City may line up in a 4-1-4-1 with Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Guehi, Ait-Nouri; Gonzalez; Cherki, Reijnders, Foden, Semenyo; Marmoush.

Kick-off is at 20:00 GMT, with live coverage on TNT Sports 1 from 19:00. In a season where both clubs crave silverware to define their campaigns, tonight’s 90 minutes could shape the narrative for months to come.