Birmingham City host Newcastle United in the fourth round of the FA Cup tonight with the League One leaders looking to cause an upset and advance into the next round. .
Chris Davies’ side are four points clear at the top of the third division with two games in hand meaning there is a bit of breathing room to focus on progressing through the cup in what would be a be shock result should they defeat the Magpies today.
Newcastle are riding high after a 4-0 aggregate win over Arsenal in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup during the week which saw Eddie Howe’s team book their place in a second League Cup final in three years. Changes are expected from the Newcastle boss but with a break between this match and the next Premier League fixture Howe can focus his attention on another cup competition as the club seek to end their 70-year trophy drought.
Follow all the FA Cup action with our live blog below:
Birmingham vs Newcastle LIVE
Birmingham host Newcastle in the FA Cup with kick at 5.45pm
League One leaders are unbeaten in 18 games across all competitions
Newcastle defeated Arsenal in their last outing to reach Carabao Cup final
Birmingham City FC - Newcastle United FC
Newcastle wary of danger man Stansfield
15:20 , Will Castle
It’s no secret Jay Stansfield has ability that far outweighs the competition in League 1.
The division’s record signing has backed up the hype with 14 goals in 21 matches, averaging a goal every 116 minutes.
Both he and Alfie May are more than equipped to give the visitors issues, particularly as Newcastle might be suffering after a busy schedule.
Odds and prediction
15:09 , Jamie Braidwood
Odds
Birmingham win - 9/1
Draw - 4/1
Newcastle win - 1/2
Prediction
Even a much-rested Newcastle side should have more than enough for the League One leaders.
Birmingham 0-2 Newcastle.
Birmingham vs Newcastle: What is the team news?
15:03 , Jamie Braidwood
In his pre-match conference, Eddie Howe confirmed that Sven Botman will miss the weekend’s match after picking up a knock against Arsenal.
The Magpies boss also hinted that he would make several changes, with Callum Wilson and Emil Krafth both in contention to start, alongside William Osula, Matt Targett and Sean Longstaff.
Birmingham vs Newcastle: What is the team news?
15:02 , Jamie Braidwood
For the hosts, Lee Buchanan is the only long-term injury, with the left-back ruled out for the rest of the season.
Birmingham boss Davies will hope to welcome back Paik Seung Ho after the South Korean has missed the last few weeks of action, while Willum Willumsson could also return. Tomoki Iwata made his return against Huddersfield last month, and should be fit to start once again.
Is Birmingham vs Newcastle on TV? Kick-off time, channel and how to watch FA Cup fixture
15:02 , Jamie Braidwood
When is Birmingham vs Newcastle?
The FA Cup fixture will kick off at 5.45pm GMT on Saturday 8 February at St Andrews in Birmingham.
What TV channel is it on?
This fixture will be shown free-to-air on BBC One in the UK, with subscribers also able to watch online via BBC iPlayer. Coverage begins at 5.30pm.
Good afternoon
15:01 , Jamie Braidwood
Birmingham City host Newcastle United in the fourth round of the FA Cup tonight, with the League One leaders looking to bring an upset at St Andrew’s.
Chris Davies’ side lead the third division by four points with two games in hand, putting them in a brilliant position ahead of the fourth round. And their advantage in the league means they can afford to put everything into trying to earn a famous upset this weekend.
Newcastle will still be buoyed by their 4-0 aggregate win over Arsenal in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup in midweek, with Eddie Howe’s team booking their place in a second League Cup final win three years.
And a likely much-changed Magpies side will want to get the business done against lower-league opposition as they continue to hunt an end to the club’s 70-year trophy drought.
