Magpies break 13-year drought
Newcastle ended its 13-year wait to beat bitter rivals Sunderland as Alexander Isak’s double inspired a 3-0 win in the FA Cup third round at the weekend.
Chelsea joined Newcastle in the last 32 with a 4-0 rout of second tier Preston, while Aston Villa snatched a late 1-0 win at Middlesbrough.
In the first Tyne and Wear derby since 2016, Newcastle put Sunderland to the sword thanks to Dan Ballard’s firsthalf own goal and Isak’s brace after the break at the Stadium of Light. Newcastle had lost six of its previous seven clashes with Sunderland, but the composed display neutered the fired-up Black Cats and delivered a first derby success since a 1-0 victory in 2011.
After four successive defeats in all competitions, Newcastle coach Eddie Howe hoped the derby would be a “seasonchanging” moment to salve the wounds from their Champions League exit and poor Premier League form.
Whether vanquishing second-tier rivals will prove transformative remains to be seen.
“Today will have done us the world of good. It keeps us in an important competition and that brings hope,” Howe said.
At Stamford Bridge, inconsistent Chelsea dismissed Preston with three goals in 11 second-half minutes.
Armando Broja headed home to break Preston’s resistance in the 58th minute. Thiago Silva nodded in the second from a corner and Raheem Sterling grabbed the third with a fine free-kick. Enzo Fernandez tapped in to complete the rout in the 85th minute.
Aston Villa needed an 88th minute strike from Matty Cash to see off Championship side Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium.