FA Cup news: Birmingham City vs Newcastle United – Five key battles and score prediction

League One leaders Birmingham City host high-flying Premier League side Newcastle United in the fourth round of the FA Cup this weekend.

The game will take place at St Andrew's on Saturday, with kick-off set for 5.45pm UK time.

Birmingham City find themselves in the hunt for promotion back to the Championship, while Newcastle have a fight on their hands to make the Champions League places.

Sports News Blitz writer Joseph Hannen looks at five key battles to anticipate and makes a score prediction.

Blues vs Magpies

This will be the first meeting between the two sides since 2017, and Birmingham’s new owners Tom Wagner and Tom Brady will be eager for the Blues to put on a show.

Having accumulated 19 wins in 27 league matches, the hosts will certainly relish the opportunity to go head-to-head with Premier League opposition.

Birmingham come into this tie after victories over Sutton United, Blackpool, and Lincoln City in previous rounds, while Newcastle dispatched Bromley in their sole round.

Hosting the Magpies will be a completely novel experience for the new owners, who will use the occasion as an advert for their club ahead of a likely return to the Championship.

Newcastle, on the other hand, have a huge Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Arsenal to play in midweek and will have one eye on Wembley as a result.

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Jay Stansfield vs Dan Burn

With 14 league goals to his name, Stansfield is the Blues’ leading goalscorer this term.

Birmingham obliterated the League One transfer record when the striker was brought in from Fulham for £15 million last summer.

Saturday’s game provides the perfect opportunity for Stansfield to showcase his ability against Premier League opposition.

Newcastle’s Dan Burn is likely to be standing in his way.

The Geordie giant has arguably been Newcastle’s most consistent player this season alongside the phenomenon that is Alexander Isak.

Burn has helped Newcastle to eight clean sheets in the league, a key reason for the Toon Army sitting in sixth place in the Premier League.

With Birmingham’s 46 league goals so far this campaign proof positive of their attacking capabilities, Newcastle will have to be careful to not underestimate them come Saturday.

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Ben Davies vs William Osula

As Birmingham’s undisputed leader at the back, Davies has been essential to their impressive defensive record, in which they have conceded only 19 goals in 27 matches.

The 29-year-old is on loan from Rangers but has solidified his position in the line-up at the expense of Blues captain Krystian Bielik, highlighting his importance.

Davies is likely to feature at the centre of a back five, a system heavily used this season by Birmingham that will give them their best chance of keeping Newcastle out.

In contrast, Newcastle livewire Osula has struggled for minutes so far this season, although the Dane did put on a show in their win over Bromley, putting the game to bed with a beautiful curling effort on his weak foot.

Brought in for £10 million from Sheffield United, Osula is set to start as he is one of only two available strikers, with Isak certain to be rested ahead of Wednesday’s clash with Arsenal.

Crucially, Osula’s explosive nature will cause problems for Birmingham’s backline as the young striker targets back-to-back FA Cup goals.

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Ethan Laird vs Anthony Gordon

A Manchester United academy graduate, Laird permanently moved to the Midlands team in 2023 following multiple loan spells at Swansea, Bournemouth, and QPR.

When fit, Laird has been an ever-present at right-back, winning 81% of his tackles and 66% of his aerial duels this season as well as chipping in with one goal and two assists.

The versatile defender is in fine form and will have to be at his best if he is to shut down England international Gordon.

Due to Harvey Barnes’ injury, Gordon is Newcastle’s only available left winger.

The dynamic star is vital to Newcastle these days, with 11 goal involvements in 22 league starts illustrative of that.

Indeed, Gordon recently starred at the Emirates, scoring the second in a monumental 2-0 win over Arsenal in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg.

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Tomoki Iwata vs Lewis Miley

Joining last summer from Celtic, Tomoki Iwata is another Birmingham player who has impressed in a debut season.

The defensive midfielder has netted five times in the league but was forced off injured in their 1-0 win at Huddersfield last week.

Iwata is expected to be available for Newcastle after managing 85 minutes in the 2-1 win over Rotherham, and Davies has stated that the injury is not as serious as first expected.

This is good news for Blues fans as the 27-year-old has been a key figure in Davies’ midfield this season.

Miley, meanwhile, has had to wait patiently for opportunities this season, but he managed a man of the match performance in the win over Bromley, scoring a screamer from outside the box.

The 18-year-old wonderkid made his breakthrough last season when a depleted squad presented him with a chance to shine.

He took full advantage, defying all expectations and proving his ability in both the Premier League and Champions League.

Saturday’s match is therefore a perfect opportunity for Miley to show his continued worth and push for a place in the starting line-up.

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Chris Davies vs Eddie Howe

As a first encounter between these two managers, this tie is one of the most eye-catching draws of the fourth round.

Davies has developed a recognisable style of play at Birmingham, with his team averaging a little over five passes per possession, substantially more than any other League One team.

The use of three centre-backs also allows Birmingham to dominate the ball in most games and build from the back.

As a result, centre-backs Bielik, Davies, and Christoph Klarer are all in the top three for accurate forward passes among League One defenders.

Going forward, Davies wants his strikers to utilise good positioning and off-the-ball movement to shake up opposition defences.

Effective movement creates space for oncoming midfielders and wingers to use, so it is no shock that only one team – surprise package Wycombe Wanderers – has scored more League One goals than the Blues this season.

Howe, it must be said, is stubborn with his 4-3-3 set-up, although the squad at his disposal does admittedly suit his system.

Considering Newcastle’s key match on Wednesday, Howe is expected to heavily rotate his team for Saturday's fixture.

But that does not mean Howe will not take the tie seriously, especially with Newcastle prone to cup upsets in the past, most recently a 1-0 loss at home to Cambridge in 2022.

Summary

Birmingham have nothing to lose here and I expect them to give this tie everything they have.

In particular, it is a huge match for the new Blues owners who will be aware of the extra attention a big cup upset brings.

The atmosphere created by both sets of fans may add a hostile element to the match, which should favour Birmingham.

However, I think it will be a cagey affair in which Newcastle’s overpowering quality will drag them over the line and into the hat for the fifth round.

Score prediction: Birmingham City 1-2 Newcastle United

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Joseph Hannen

Joseph Hannen is doing a BA HONS degree in sports journalism at the University of Sunderland.

He is a massive Newcastle United fan, being a season ticket holder at St James’ Park.

Joseph also loves darts and Formula One, and has a penchant for podcasts and video editing too.

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