'I am sure': Chris Sutton makes stunning prediction as Newcastle United take on Bournemouth in FA Cup third round
Eddie Howe has to get the better of his old side on Saturday as Bournemouth head to St James' Park to take on Newcastle United in the FA Cup third round. Kick-off is at 3 pm.
After Wednesday's seven-goal thriller against Leeds United, the Magpies will no doubt be happy to be back in front of their home crowd for this one, but Bournemouth have often been a problematic foe for Eddie Howe.
We expect that both managers are going to make plenty of changes for this game, but how many each makes is going to be the big question.
Therefore, we are glad that we prefer to leave it to the professionals to try and predict the outcome of games.
Chris Sutton is trying to kill us off
Chris Sutton has made his prediction for the BBC, and the former Blackburn Rovers forward has gone a bit wild with his prognostication.
"I just wonder how much Wednesday night's epic game against Leeds will have taken out of Newcastle, who have got the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final with Manchester City coming up next week too.
"There was also plenty of late drama in Bournemouth's win over Tottenham, but my concern with the Cherries is more about the effect of Antoine Semenyo's departure, because it appears he has played his last game for them.
"Newcastle boss Eddie Howe does not have a great record against his old club in the Premier League, where he has not got the better of them in seven attempts, but he did beat them in the Carabao Cup in 2022.
"I was tempted to go for a Bournemouth win here, but I am not sure how many changes Andoni Iraola will make either.
"The one thing I am sure of is that there will be a few goals flying in, because of the way both teams play. Let's go for another thriller, with a shootout to settle it.
"Sutton's prediction: 3-3 after extra time, Newcastle to win on penalties'
If it has to go to penalties, then so be it
Honestly, we may not be keen on predicting the score, but 3-3 seems optimistic from a neutral and exhausting as a fan.
As Sutton says, both sides played an intense game on Wednesday, and both teams will also likely be heavily changed for this game, so whether there'll be the quality or the energy out there to play out a three-all draw, we're not so sure.
Having said that, if that's how it pans out and Newcastle progress on penalties, we'll take it. Getting into the next round is what matters.
