Five Things Learned: Newcastle United 1-3 Manchester City (FA Cup Fifth Round) | OneFootball

Manchester City progressed to an eighth successive FA Cup quarter-final as they came from behind to secure a 3-1 win over Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United at St. James’ Park.

City took a huge stride in their journey to reach a fourth successive FA Cup final, becoming just the third side to knock the Magpies out of both domestic cup competitions in one season in their fourth win of the campaign against the north-east outfit.

It was a difficult start for Guardiola’s men as the hosts came out of the blocks flying and full of confidence after their valiant home victory against Manchester United in midweek. Newcastle pressed with intensity in the early exchanges and did everything they could to apply pressure to their opposition and prevent them from getting a foothold in the game.

Eventually, their hard work paid off as a brilliant pass in behind by Sandro Tonali bypassed the Manchester City defence, allowing Harvey Barnes to race on to it and hammer home past James Trafford with 18 minutes on the clock.

This goal appeared to be somewhat of a wake-up call for the visitors as from this point onwards, they began to grow in confidence and build rhythm, pinning Newcastle inside their own half and passing the ball with purpose and pace. City’s two wide men in particular, Jeremy Doku and Savinho, were proving to be a handful for the Magpies.

The equaliser came 21 minutes later, following a brilliant cross from the ever-dynamic Doku, who raced past Anthony Elanga and Kieran Trippier to pull the ball across the box. The Belgian had done all the hard work and the eyes of Savinho lit up as he poked the ball over the line with a rather unique and effortless finish.

Subsequently, a mere two minutes into the second-half, Omar Marmoush thumped home after getting on the end of an inviting Matheus Nunes cross that was parried by Newcastle goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale to give the visitors the lead under the lights in Newcastle.

Manchester City’s number seven was not done there, however. In the 65th minute, yet another Nunes pass enabled him to rifle a stunning strike from the edge of the 18 yard box into the back of the net, with Ramsdale left hopelessly watching the ball nestle into the top corner.

The remainder of the game was a tale of expert game management by Manchester City, who starved the Magpies of possession in the latter stages to take the sting out of the game and run the clock down until Sam Barrett’s whistle eventually sounded.

Here are five things we learnt from Saturday night’s 3-1 victory at St. James’ Park!

1. Strength in depth

Although the class of Manchester City’s squad is undeniable, given the difficulty of the fixture and the significance of the FA Cup within English football, Pep Guardiola took somewhat of a risk with the number of players he elected to rotate. Despite this, the Catalan was certainly rewarded for his faith in his players.

Guardiola likely had one eye on the upcoming clash with Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu as he made 10 changes from the midweek draw against Nottingham Forest – and after the opening 20 minutes in Newcastle, this looked to have been a potential mistake.

This assumption however, was far from the truth, as this heavily-rotated City side still displayed an enormous amount of both quality and character to conjure a comeback of that magnitude at such a historically intimidating ground – and each and every player deserves credit for that.

Those who started at St. James’ Park have almost certainly given Guardiola a rather good headache in terms of who deserves a place in the ever-competitive starting XI as Manchester City embark upon the business end of the season.

Although the dropped points last time out were disappointing, this display should re-ignite a degree of optimism amongst those of a Manchester City persuasion. The Blues have an incredibly talented and diverse squad in terms of what each player can offer – and this should only inspire confidence as they continue to fight on all four fronts this campaign.

2. Savinho shines

The Brazilian youngster has endured a tough time since moving to the Etihad Stadium in the summer of 2024 and goalscoring output has been a real struggle for the winger, having only scored four goals for the Blues and as a result, facing criticism from the media and being restricted to limited minutes.

The 21-year-old’s start to the 2025-26 campaign was hampered by injury but following his return, he looks to be very eager to change his Manchester City fortunes and prove a point to the media and fans, operating with increased confidence and impetus.

City legend Joe Hart awarded the number 26 his Player Of The Match award on commentary against Newcastle on Saturday night – and his performance certainly warranted that as it was one of his best in blue on a very important night for Guardiola and co.

Not only did Savinho net the equaliser, albeit through a rather obscure finish, but he also proved a constant, unrelenting threat to the Magpies down that right flank, showing no fear in engaging in a battle with left-back Lewis Hall – creating two chances, completing 83% of his passes and causing the Newcastle star a multitude of problems throughout the game.

If Savinho can maintain this level of performance in the coming weeks, the former Girona man could see himself rewarded with an increase in minutes and become a valuable attacking asset to this Manchester City team.

3. Who else but Omar Marmoush?

Not for the first time this season, Manchester City’s number seven was the difference maker against Newcastle United, scoring a crucial brace to complete an invaluable turnaround for his side. Two very different goals; one rather simple finish from close range and one excellent long-range effort – but they were of equal importance.

The 27-year-old seems to be rather fond of a goal against the Magpies, as four of the six goals he has scored this term have come against Saturday night’s opposition, whilst he has netted seven in five career appearances against Newcastle, a rather intriguing statistic. Perhaps his hat-trick against the Toon at the Etihad Stadium last campaign was a sign of things to come.

The former Eintracht Frankfurt man perhaps has a case to feel aggrieved in regard to minutes this campaign, especially given the arrival of Antoine Semenyo, who often operates in his position too. Despite the brilliance of both Semenyo and Haaland, this display from Marmoush showed that he certainly has a case to start more games in the future.

4. Abdukodir Khusanov – The future is bright!

Whilst City’s frontline will receive rightful praise for their impact, one player who may perhaps go under the radar is Uzbekistan international Abdukodir Khusanov, who was outstanding against Newcastle and certainly deserves his plaudits.

Given the sheer speed of the likes of William Osula, Anthony Elanga and Barnes, the 22-year-old defender did exceptionally well at nullifying any potential threats for the majority of the game through his staggering recovery pace and imperious physicality, which was utilised to great effect to keep Newcastle at bay despite the high line adopted by Guardiola.

Since his indifferent Manchester City debut in a 3-1 win over Chelsea in January 2025, Khusanov has witnessed an upward trajectory, only improving his game in the 14 months he has spent under Guardiola’s tutelage – and there is still vast room for improvement so if he continues this form, who knows the levels he will reach? Khusanov is one to watch, Blues!

5. The Road to Wembley continues!

At one stage Manchester City’s impeccable record in the FA Cup fifth round looked to be in jeopardy, but that was a statement performance from Guardiola’s side.

Following this dismay of the last two FA Cup final defeats, the desire and emotion displayed show just how much this competition matters to this group and how hungry they are to get their hands on the prestigious cup come May.

That key victory ensures that City remain fighting across all four fronts in this ever-frantic footballing calendar that shows no sign of slowing down. The next challenge that awaits the Blues is a monumental UEFA Champions League fixture against Real Madrid in the Spanish capital – so for now, it is all eyes on continental action!