BBC Sport pundit Mark Lawrenson has revealed his prediction for Newcastle United’s FA Cup clash with Watford on Saturday.
The two Premier League sides go head to head in the cup amid contrasting Premier League campaigns. However, Lawrenson predicts lowly Newcastle will overcome the Hornets 2-0.
“This could be a significant moment for Newcastle fans. If the Magpies win this tie, they will be into the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time since Mike Ashley bought the club in 2007,” he wrote on the BBC Sport website. “Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez played some youngsters against Blackburn in the last round but they got through and when a team wins a game, it does lift the place – it showed when they followed that up by beating Cardiff in the Premier League.
“I think the feelgood factor of winning this tie would outweigh any possible distraction to their battle against the drop. As for Hornets boss Javi Gracia – I am not sure. His team are seventh in the Premier League, so they do not have worry about relegation. But does he see a cup run as imperative, or would he prefer to focus on trying to stay seventh?
“I don’t think we will find out until the teamsheets come out, but Newcastle have taken four points off Watford in the league this season, so I am going to back them to come out on top again.”
OPINION
Lawrenson makes a good point about Newcastle having Watford’s number this season. There’s not too many teams you can say that about in relation to the Magpies, but the Hornets are one of them. Both teams will probably be changed to such an extent that that won’t matter on Saturday, though. You’d like to think that, being seventh, Watford will go for this one. But the evidence in recent times in the FA Cup would suggest that they won’t. That could give Newcastle an opportunity, then. The Magpies are struggling so much with injury that they will likely have to play something resembling a first choice eleven – of the players who are fit, that is. There might be the odd youngster playing but all in all you’d expect the team to be pretty similar to the one that overcame Cardiff City last weekend. If that proves to be the case then this tie could be there for the taking for Benitez’s side.
