Pep Guardiola’s squad travel to Tyneside on Saturday, March 7, to face Newcastle United in the fifth round of the FA Cup, with kickoff set for 3 p.m. Eastern Time. The numbers reveal a striking fixture density: this will be the fifth meeting between these two clubs in a single campaign, handing both managers a deep bank of footage to draw from heading into this knockout tie.
City arrive carrying three straight wins over Newcastle in recent head-to-head contests. That sequence will sharpen Eddie Howe’s determination to halt their cup progress. Newcastle did claim a home Premier League victory over Guardiola’s side last November, and the Tyneside crowd will carry that memory into Saturday’s atmosphere.
Head-to-Head Record This Season
The two clubs have already met four times before this cup clash, making Saturday’s encounter an unusually compressed rivalry within one season. Newcastle’s Premier League win at their own ground in November stands as their most recent victory over Guardiola’s side, a result followed by three consecutive defeats in subsequent meetings.
Film from those four prior fixtures shows Newcastle finding ways to threaten going forward, yet converting that output into wins has proved difficult across the run. Howe’s record at St James’ Park does give the hosts a structural lift when the crowd is loud and the defensive block holds its shape. Familiarity between these two squads has bred sharper counter-measures on both benches, which means neither side will be caught cold by the other’s preferred patterns.
Five meetings in one season between two Premier League clubs is a rare occurrence. The volume of available footage means execution, not surprise, separates the two sides. Whichever group imposes its structure first on Saturday is likely to control the tie’s rhythm.
The fifth-round cup tie is available live in the United States on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. Supporters access the broadcast by downloading the ESPN app, signing in with an ESPN account, and subscribing to ESPN Select to unlock the live sports coverage.
Kickoff times differ by United States time zone. Eastern viewers get the 3 p.m. slot, Central audiences watch at 2 p.m., Mountain viewers tune in at 1 p.m., and Pacific supporters catch the action from noon local time. ESPN+ has become the primary home for English football coverage in the American market, and this last-16 fixture ranks among the most attractive on the cup calendar this term.
Match Details and Tactical Picture
St James’ Park hosts Saturday’s tie, giving Newcastle the home advantage that proved decisive in their November league win over Guardiola’s squad. The single-elimination format strips away any margin for error that a two-legged affair would permit, which historically pushes both clubs toward direct, vertical football in the opening phase of a cup match.
Guardiola typically deploys quick combination play in tight spaces to bypass a high press, leaning on midfield runners to break defensive lines. How Newcastle set their pressing triggers from the first whistle will shape the tactical contest. Cup football at a packed northeast stadium carries an atmosphere that even experienced squads must factor into their defensive shape and transition decisions.
The Magpies beat City at this venue in the league just months ago, demonstrating that Guardiola’s squad can be stopped when the crowd is loud and the defensive block holds firm. City’s depth across all positions gives them the flexibility to adjust mid-match, a lever Howe’s group has fewer options to pull. Both coaching staffs have spent weeks studying the same pool of footage, so the team that executes its plan most cleanly on the day will advance to the quarter-final draw.
This is the fifth meeting between Newcastle United and City in the 2025-26 season.
The match takes place in the cup’s fifth round on Saturday, March 7, with kickoff at 3 p.m. Eastern Time.
The tie is available to stream live in the United States on ESPN+ and the ESPN app.
Newcastle United defeated Guardiola’s side in the Premier League last November, their most recent win over City.
City enter the fixture having won three consecutive matches against Newcastle across all competitions since that November defeat.
What This Tie Means for Both Clubs
Progress through to the last eight keeps City alive in one of English football’s oldest knockout competitions. A win on Tyneside would place Guardiola’s squad into the quarter-final draw, extending a cup run that offers silverware separate from the league title race and European commitments.
For Newcastle, the incentive cuts just as deep. Howe’s club demonstrated they can beat City at home this season, and the cup offers a route to a final that would represent a landmark for the current project on Tyneside. City’s recent head-to-head record gives them an advantage on paper, but knockout football at a packed northeast ground has a long habit of rewriting form lines. Three straight wins over a rival do not guarantee a fourth when the prize is a place in the last eight.
Whichever club advances, this last-16 clash carries genuine weight in the broader picture of both squads’ ambitions for the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign. The fixture count alone — five encounters in one season — tells you how tightly bound these two clubs have become this term, and Saturday’s cup tie is the one with the highest stakes of the lot.
What time does Newcastle vs Manchester City kick off in the FA Cup?
The match kicks off at 3 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday, March 7. That converts to 2 p.m. Central, 1 p.m. Mountain, and noon Pacific Time for viewers across the United States.
Where can I watch Newcastle vs Manchester City in the FA Cup in the US?
The fifth-round match is broadcast live in the United States on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. Viewers must download the ESPN app, sign in with an ESPN account, and subscribe to ESPN Select to access the live stream.
How many times have Newcastle and Manchester City played each other this season?
The two clubs have met four times before this cup fixture, making Saturday’s clash the fifth encounter between them in the 2025-26 season.
What is Newcastle’s recent record against Manchester City?
Newcastle United beat City in the Premier League last November, but have lost three consecutive matches against Guardiola’s side since that result, giving City the stronger head-to-head record across the current season.
