Newcastle smoothly dispatched rivals Sunderland in the Wear-Tyne derby at the Stadium of Light, securing a place in the FA Cup fourth round.
The Magpies applied continuous pressure right from the start and eventually broke through ten minutes before halftime when Sunderland defender Dan Ballard inadvertently redirected Joelinton’s cross into his own net.
In less than a minute into the second half, Newcastle took complete command of the first Wear-Tyne derby since 2016. Miguel Almiron dispossessed Pierre Ekwah, setting up Alexander Isak for an easy conversion into an open net.
Isak secured his brace from the penalty spot in the final minute after Anthony Gordon was fouled in the box by Ballard.
Despite Championship side Sunderland managing just one shot and 28% possession in the challenging opening 45 minutes against their Premier League opponents, they showed improvement in the second half, testing goalkeeper Martin Dubravka multiple times.
Ekwah and Alex Pritchard both faced impressive saves from the Slovakia international, ensuring Newcastle secured their first victory at the Stadium of Light since 2011.
Pritchard’s attempt striking the crossbar exemplified Sunderland’s desperate push to mount a comeback, but their endeavors were ultimately fruitless.
Newcastle gracefully secured the win, maintaining possession and circulating the ball adeptly at the Stadium of Light, prompting “ole” chants from their lively six-thousand-strong away supporters.
The only setback for Newcastle in their triumphant performance was midfielder Joelinton’s injury, sustained late in the first half. Although he returned for the second half, he was substituted after just two minutes due to lingering issues.
This marks Eddie Howe’s first FA Cup victory since assuming control of Newcastle in November 2021, breaking a streak of third-round exits in the previous two seasons against Cambridge and Sheffield Wednesday.
Additionally, the win puts an end to Newcastle’s four-match losing streak across all competitions.