Newcastle v Sunderland in tonight’s FA Cup third round draw – Here’s hoping | OneFootball

“Number 26, will play Number 38”… it would be great to hear those words this evening shortly after 7pm as the draw for the Emirates FA Cup third round proper is made, Newcastle v Sunderland.

I think a repeat of last season’s third round encounter against the Mackems is in order, this time with home advantage.

Last season, we went into the derby match on a run that had seen us come up short seven times in our previous eight outings.

Although it was a potential banana skin, a brace from the exquisite Alexander Isak, together with an own goal from the hapless Dan Ballard, gave us a comprehensive 3-0 win at the Stadium of Plight.

What a way to arrest that decline in form and what a way to start the new year!

I can still recall staring in disbelief at the radio when last season’s draw was made.

It was the first time we’d had Newcastle v Sunderland or Sunderland v Newcastle,  in any cup competition since the League Cup second round in 1979.

Only the fifth time we’d been drawn against them in the FA Cup in our entire NUFC history.

Given our dismal run of form and injury crisis last December, the Mackems were positively salivating at the prospect of putting Newcastle United to the sword, but in the end, it was men against boys.

We head into this evening’s draw with two poor performances behind us and with high-flying Liverpool up next.