Manchester City and Newcastle United are set for another crucial encounter in the fifth round of the 2025-26 FA Cup. This match comes at a significant time for both clubs, with City recently drawing against relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest, allowing Arsenal to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League. Newcastle, on the other hand, enters the game with boosted morale after a superb victory against Manchester United. This fixture is poised to be pivotal in shaping the momentum of both teams as they head into the latter stages of the season.

For fans looking to catch the action, the match will be broadcast on TNT Sports 1 in the UK, Peacock in the U.S., Jio Hotstar in India, and Stan Sport in Australia. Live coverage will also be available through ESPN. The kick-off is scheduled for Saturday, March 7, at 8 p.m. GMT (3 p.m. ET; 1:30 a.m. IST, March 8; and 7 a.m. AEDT, March 8). The game will take place at St. James Park in Newcastle, with Sam Barrott as the referee and John Brooks overseeing VAR.

Injury concerns plague both sides leading into this FA Cup clash. Newcastle United will be without defenders Emil Krafth (knee), Tino Livramento (hamstring), and Lewis Miley (knee). Midfielder Bruno Guimarães (muscle) and Jacob Ramsey (suspended) are also out. Forward Nick Woltemade is doubtful due to illness. Manchester City faces its own injury woes, with Josko Gvardiol (ankle) and Mateo Kovacic (ankle) sidelined. Max Alleyne (knock) and Nico O'Reilly (knock) are listed as doubts.

A significant talking point for Newcastle is their recent demonstration of capability without key player Bruno Guimarães. Previously, Newcastle had not secured a Premier League win without the Brazilian since his arrival. However, their sensational victory over Manchester United mid-week, achieved with ten men for an entire half, not only corrected this statistic but also ended a run of three consecutive Premier League defeats at St. James Park, potentially kickstarting their flagging season with immense confidence.

Conversely, Erling Haaland's recent form is a growing concern for Manchester City. Since January 2026, Haaland has only managed four goals in his last 15 appearances across all competitions. He failed to score or assist in the Carabao Cup semifinal against Newcastle and appeared out of sorts against Nottingham Forest after returning from a minor knock. For City to compete for titles, Haaland needs to rediscover his prolific early-season form. Manager Pep Guardiola faces a dilemma: risk exacerbating a fitness issue with back-to-back starts, conserve him for the UEFA Champions League tie against Real Madrid, or play him back into form? An interesting statistic that might influence this decision is Omar Marmoush's record of five goals and one assist in four competitive matches against Newcastle United.

This will be the fifth competitive meeting between Manchester City and Newcastle United this season, and the teams are likely weary of each other. While City holds a favorable 3 wins to 1 loss record, all previous encounters have been tight affairs, balanced for significant portions of the game. Coupled with Newcastle's newfound confidence after their mid-week exploits, St. James Park is expected to be an intense atmosphere.

Manchester City's defense and confidence appear brittle. Despite Marc Guéhi's strengthening of their backline, City's defense has shown vulnerabilities throughout the season, evident in recent games against Leeds United and Nottingham Forest. This current City squad lacks the impenetrable, possession-controlling, chance-minimizing machine quality of previous Guardiola teams. Furthermore, their confidence seems fragile, lacking the invincible belief that victory is guaranteed. This perceived brittleness is precisely what Newcastle United will aim to exploit.

Historically, in the FA Cup, City and Newcastle have met 10 times. Manchester City has won four, including the last two, while Newcastle has won six. Interestingly, City also eliminated Newcastle from the League Cup semifinals this season. Only two teams have ever knocked City out of both the League Cup and FA Cup in the same season: Wimbledon in 1987-88 and Arsenal in 2007-08. Manchester City boasts an impressive FA Cup record over the last four seasons, winning 18 of their last 20 matches, with their only losses being in the 2024 final against Manchester United and the 2025 final against Crystal Palace.