Rock-Solid Newcastle United will be bidding to progress to the FA Cup fourth round when they travel to Hillsborough on Saturday to take on League One high-flyer Sheffield Wednesday.
Newcastle United will look to begin their FA Cup journey on a high note, while League One side Sheffield Wednesday will be hoping for the magic of the cup when the two former Championship foes clash at the Hillsborough Stadium on Saturday evening.
The high-flying Geordies continue to be this season’s dark horses in the Premier League, as they were able to earn themselves a valuable point on the road against Premier League leaders Arsenal on Tuesday night in what was a gutsy and well-organised display.
They not only stopped the Gunners’ winning run but frustrated their opponent, forcing the league’s second-highest goalscorers to their first home blank this season. The point kept the Magpies sitting pretty up in third place in the Premier League table. But the result made it just two points from a possible six in their last two games following their draw at home to Leeds United.
Nevertheless, Newcastle return to cup duty with a trip to League One outfit Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough. The Magpies will then host Leicester City in the EFL Cup quarter-final two days later, with Howe’s men seeking progression in both domestic competitions.
First up, Sheffield Wednesday, who have been in solid form in League One this season and will look to extend their winning run to four games across competitions. They are second in League One after winning 15 of their 25 matches in the third tier this term, have been unbeaten since early October, and have the division’s second-best defensive record.
Needless to say, Darren Moore’s side are favourites to clinch promotion to the Championship. But they will have their work cut out to step up and cause an upset here. The hosts advanced to the third round after defeating Morecambe 2-0 and Mansfield Town 2-1, while the Magpies earned a direct place in the third round due to their Premier League status.
Team News & Tactics
Sheffield Wednesday
🗣️ “I said it from the start, as soon as the third round draw was made, the first thing I thought about was the fans, this is a great fixture for both clubs and both sets of supporters.."
The gaffer's pre-Newcastle press conference will be live today at 2pm#swfc | #SHWNEW
— Sheffield Wednesday (@swfc) January 6, 2023
Sheffield Wednesday boss Darren Moore has several injury concerns to contend with ahead of welcoming Newcastle United for a mouth-watering third-round clash at Hillsborough.
He cannot call upon the services of skipper and midfielder Barry Bannan, who picked up an unknown fresh injury that kept him out for the Cambridge game. Dominic Iorfa (Achilles) and Lee Gregory (back) are both back in light training and will be included in the squad.
Tactically, Moore could opt for a 3-5-2 compact formation, which will see Mallik Wilks and Marvin Johnson feature as reserved wing-backs, holding dual responsibilities to provide width in attack as well as help out the back three by putting in a defensive shift.
Cameron Dawson will play in goal for the Blues and will need to be at his best to give his team a chance to frustrate the opponents and keep them at bay. Liam Palmer, Mark McGuinness, and Reece James will make up the Owls’ backline as they try to keep things tidy when defending inside their own half this weekend.
The engine room will comprise George Byers and Will Vaulks, with Fisayo Dele-Bashiru operating as a box-to-box outlet, offering the energy and legs in counter-attacks. Sheffield Wednesday’s attacking potency will be determined by how effectively they use transitional and set-piece moments, with them not likely to see a lot of the ball.
Offensively, they will hang their hats on top scorer Michael Smith, who scored a brace in the FA Cup third-round tie against Mansfield and has ten goals to his name this season, to produce the goods in the final third with little service because clear-cut opportunities will be few and far between against a superior opposition.
Smith’s strike partner Josh Windass is also a threat to be reckoned with, having found the back of the net nine times in all competitions this season, including a brilliant hat-trick on his most recent outing against Cambridge United.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Dawson; Palmer, McGuinness, James; Wilks, Byers, Vaulks, Dele-Bashiru, Johnson; Windass, Smith
Newcastle United
In his pre-match press conference, Eddie Howe has remained coy about whether the record signing for Newcastle United, Alexander Isak, will be fit enough to feature against Sheffield Wednesday.
The Sweden international made an explosive start to his Toon career by scoring twice in his first three Premier League outings for the Magpies. But he has not featured since September’s 1-1 draw with Bournemouth due to a long-running hamstring problem.
Otherwise, the former Bournemouth head coach has an almost full-strength squad. But Howe did hint at making several changes to his starting XI after the feisty draw against Arsenal left them with minor niggles, as well as taking into account the EFL Cup quarter-final on the horizon.
So, this weekend’s FA Cup clash against Sheffield Wednesday could offer Howe the opportunity to rest some of his stars, with a trip to the League One side potentially offering a chance for some of the fringe players to prove their worth.
Martin Dubravka made a surprise return from Manchester United at the start of the week and could get straight back into action in between the sticks for the Toon, with England international Nick Pope likely to be saved for Bournemouth.
At the back, Javier Manquillo and Jamal Lewis could get their chances to impress here, taking up their respective full-back positions, with Dan Burn and skipper Jamaal Lascelles forming the central defensive partnership.
Following Jonjo Shelvey’s injury setback, Newcastle do not have the luxury to shuffle the pack in the middle of the park. So Sean Longstaff and Joe Willock are likely to start again, with Elliot Anderson expected to slot in as the left-sided midfielder and Willock switching across to the right flank. Longstaff will occupy the No. 6 role, with Bruno Guimaraes expected to be kept fresh for the Carabao Cup game against Leicester.
Allan Saint-Maximin is also expected to start alongside other rotational options in Jacob Murphy and striker Chris Wood in the frontline, with the latter spearheading the line in place of Callum Wilson, while Howe will have attacking options to deploy from the substitutes’ bench, which will be stocked with regular first-team players.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Dubravka; Manquillo, Lascelles, Burn, Lewis; Willock, Longstaff, Anderson; Murphy, Wood, Saint-Maximin
Key Stats
- Sheffield Wednesday have been knocked out in five of their six FA Cup ties against Newcastle United.
- Newcastle have lost their past three meetings against Sheffield Wednesday in all competitions, losing twice in their title-winning Championship season in 2016-17.
- Sheffield Wednesday have won only one of their previous 18 FA Cup meetings against top-division opponents when they are not themselves a part of the top-flight (D5 L12).
- The Magpies were eliminated by League One side Cambridge United in last season’s FA Cup, but are currently unbeaten in their last 15 games across all competitions (W9 D6).
- The Owls are unbeaten in their last nine games in all competitions, winning their last three in League One, scoring nine goals while conceding just once.
Player to Watch
Allan Saint-Maximin
Saint-Maximin started the season in fine form, starring in the 3-3 draw with Premier League champions Manchester City and scoring a stunning late equaliser at Wolverhampton Wanderers. But he has struggled for fitness since then. In total, the Magpies were without the Frenchman for eight of their opening 15 Premier League matches.
And while they have managed to perform at a high level even in his absence, a fully fit Saint-Maximin is a defender’s nightmare. His sharp bursts and mesmerising footwork have caused his opponents sleepless nights on many occasions over the years. He will be chomping at the bit to show his all-around game and end product here to impress manager Eddie Howe in order to reclaim his starting spot.
Prediction
Sheffield Wednesday 0-3 Newcastle United
While no team should ever overlook another, even from the lower tier, especially in the FA Cup where there have been countless upsets over the years, this should be a game that Newcastle should win quite confidently.
With Allan Saint-Maximin’s dribbling skills, Joe Willock’s surges into the penalty area, and full-backs pushing higher than ever, Newcastle will be great value in the entertainment department here. And we expect free-wheeling action from them when they make the trip to face the Owls, who are high-flying in League One but may struggle to cope with the intensity and the step-up in class.
This win should help them continue to generate momentum heading into the crucial Carabao Cup quarterfinal tie as Eddie Howe’s Geordie juggernaut aims to snap the Magpies’ long-running trophy drought this season.
