Newcastle United will have to play a replay vs. Blackburn after drawing in the FA Cup.
In their FA Cup third round match, Newcastle United came away with a draw against the Championship’s Blackburn Rovers. Bradley Dack opened the scoring with a powerful header from close range and Matt Ritchie converted a penalty kick in the 84th minute.
Top Toons
Matt Ritchie: When Newcastle United needed someone to step up and bury a penalty, Ritchie was the man for the job. The winger leveled things for the Toon and throughout the match seemed to be one of the Magpies most emotionally invested.
Jonjo Shelvey: He changed the match when he came on and did well to open up the attack with a few long passes.
Mediocre Magpies
Jacob Murphy: He’s lacking confidence and everything he did today lacked quality. His delivery from the wing was uninspired and he missed a quality chance by a wide margin.
Isaac Hayden: Getting another start in the midfield, it was another disappointing outing from the former Arsenal man. He was poor on the ball and in distribution.
Joselu: As he has consistently in his Newcastle United tenure, Joselu scuffed multiple quality chances and left the Toon Army frustrated.
Quick Kicks
- This match was a perfect showcase for why Newcastle United should loan out Woodman. He looked unsure on nearly every cross into the box and only match time can give him more confidence in those moments. If Karl Darlow can get healthy or if Rafa can trust Rob Elliot as the backup, Woodman should be sent out on loan this month.
- The goal was caused by a poor moment of communication between Fabian Schar and Jamie Sterry. The latter allowed Dack to get away from him too easily and Schar could’ve stepped up to cut him off.
- I don’t have the slightest clue why Florian Lejeune took a free-kick in the second half from a dangerous area. Jonjo Shelvey allowed him to step up and the defender sailed the shot comfortably over the bar with Newcastle United trailing.
- In the final minutes of regulation, Joselu wasted an amazing pass from Shelvey by not shooting, then going to ground too easily. It could have been a winning moment for the Toon.
- Christian Atsu had a remarkably impactless substitute appearance. He didn’t touch the ball once and when he did, it was far away from goal.
What’s Next?
Newcastle United will return to Premier League action to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. The Blues sit 4th on the table and they will be coming off a Tuesday Football League Cup match vs. Spurs. They defeated Nottingham Forest 2-0 today in the FA Cup.