Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe was left to assess the physical toll on his squad after a dramatic FA Cup third-round victory over Bournemouth at St James' Park on Saturday. The Magpies progressed via a 7-6 penalty shoot-out win following a breathless 3-3 draw after extra time, but the triumph came at a significant cost.
A Pyrrhic Victory on Tyneside
The match, played on Saturday 10 January 2026, stretched Newcastle's resources to the limit just four days before they host Manchester City in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final. The club confirmed a fresh injury blow as defender Tino Livramento suffered a hamstring problem during the gruelling encounter.
"The players have worked far harder than we wanted them to with extra-time especially with Tuesday in mind," admitted Howe. "The priority was to try to get through and to stay in the competition and we've managed that, so we're very pleased. Now we've got to count the cost of it, really, and try to re-group."
Ramsdale the Hero in Shoot-Out Drama
Goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale emerged as the shoot-out hero, making crucial saves from Evanilson, Alex Jimenez and Bafode Diakite. His interventions proved decisive after Nick Woltemade and Bruno Guimaraes had missed their spot-kicks for Newcastle.
The tie had swung wildly in normal and extra time. Harvey Barnes, continuing his fine form after scoring the midweek winner against Leeds, put Newcastle ahead on 50 minutes. Bournemouth hit back through Alex Scott and David Brooks to lead, only for Anthony Gordon's 95th-minute penalty to force extra time.
Barnes struck again to restore Newcastle's lead, completing his double, but Marcus Tavernier's last-gasp equaliser for Bournemouth in the dying seconds of added extra time sent the match to penalties.
Barnes Shines Amidst the Chaos
Howe reserved special praise for two-goal Harvey Barnes, whose brace took his season's tally to 11 goals. "It's a brilliant return from someone who has always had the ability to score," said the Newcastle boss. "His two goals today were excellent and really pleasing for me because one comes off one side, one comes off the other, so he's showing versatility."
Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola was proud of his team's part in a classic cup tie. "It's difficult to find a more FA Cup game than this one," he reflected. "I'm proud of being part of this game, but you want to go to the next round and this is what matters in the cup, and we are unfortunately out of the competition."
All focus now turns to Tuesday's huge Carabao Cup clash with Manchester City, with Howe facing a major challenge to rally his fatigued and depleted squad.
