Newcastle 1-2 Brighton (AET): Player ratings as Welbeck wins chaotic FA Cup tie

90min

·2. März 2025

Newcastle 1-2 Brighton (AET): Player ratings as Welbeck wins chaotic FA Cup tie

Newcastle United were condemned to a 2-1 defeat at home to Brighton & Hove Albion in a breathless FA Cup fifth round tie on Sunday afternoon.

Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler described Sunday's tie as a "do-or-die game". Both sides certainly flirted with death in a chaotic contest littered with goals, red cards and - intermittently - some excellent bursts of skill.

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Eddie Howe bristled at the suggestion that his Magpies are a "one-man team" after Newcastle were consigned to a comfortable 2-0 defeat by Liverpool without Alexander Isak in the team earlier this week.

However, they certainly benefit from the striker's inclusion. Isak fired the hosts in front with a crisp penalty midway through the first half. Brighton's Yankuba Minteh, who was returning to St James' Park for the first time since leaving Newcastle to join the Seagulls, clumsily felled Tino Livramento before Isak stepped up from 12 yards.

Minteh covered his face in regret after that blunder and had his hands over his eyes once again before the half-time whistle. On this occasion, the Gambian forward was briefly overcome with emotion as he fired Brighton level after a swift exchange with Joao Pedro down the right flank.

Just one point separates the two sides in the Premier League table and that similarity in quality was evident throughout.

Newcastle forward Anthony Gordon threatened to give Brighton an unnatural boost with a truly bone-headed red card in the 83rd minute, needlessly shoving Jan Paul van Hecke after the game had gone dead with the offside flag raised. Tariq Lamptey rapidly ensured that numerical parity was restored with a late lunge earning him a second yellow card in stoppage time.

Fabian Schar thought he had won the game before extra time commenced only to be denied by the semi-automated offside technology.

Danny Welbeck timed his run to perfection in the 114th minute of a gruelling contest. Taking advantage of Livramento's lax positioning, the wily forward stretched just far enough to dink the ball over an out-rushing Martin Dubravka and send Brighton into the FA Cup quarter-finals.