Newcastle Defeat 10-Man Villa to Advance in FA Cup; Man City Prevail Over Salford
In a dramatic FA Cup clash on Saturday, Newcastle United secured a 3-1 victory over ten-player Aston Villa to book their place in the competition’s fifth round.
Villa were reduced to ten men in the first half when goalkeeper Marco Bizot was sent off for a reckless challenge on Jacob Murphy, leaving his side with an uphill battle. Tammy Abraham had earlier given Villa the lead, marking his first goal since returning to the club last month.
Newcastle capitalised on their numerical advantage, with Sandro Tonali scoring twice to turn the tie in their favour and extend their run in the historic tournament, which they have not won since 1955.
Controversy struck when Lucas Digne handled in the box, but the officials, without VAR at this stage, ruled it out as a free kick — a decision that did not go Newcastle’s way. Despite that, the Magpies still managed to overcome Villa and progress.
Meanwhile, defending champions Manchester City produced a solid performance against League Two side Salford, winning 2-0. Marc Guehi opened his account for the club with a late goal after Alfie Dorrington’s own goal had put City ahead.
Salford’s spirited effort marked their deepest run in the FA Cup, though they ultimately couldn’t upset Pep Guardiola’s squad.
Other notable results included third-tier Mansfield’s 2-1 win at Burnley, a result that sent them into the next round, and West Ham narrowly edging past Burton Albion in extra time.
