Welbeck the Hero as Brighton Stun Newcastle in FA Cup Thriller

Drama, controversy, and a late hero at St James' Park! Newcastle took the lead, Brighton hit back, and two red cards turned the tie on its head.

March 2, 2025
7:00 pm

Danny Welbeck came to the rescue for Brighton again at St James’ Park, coming off the bench to score a dramatic extra-time winner and send the Seagulls into the FA Cup quarter-finals against Newcastle United.

In a tough match that saw both teams down to ten men, the former Manchester United and Arsenal star broke Newcastle hearts with a cool finish, sealing a 2-1 win on a wild afternoon in Tyneside.

Newcastle struck first with Alexander Isak’s strong penalty midway through the first half, but former Magpie Yankuba Minteh equalized just before halftime. The game turned into a scrappy battle, but it was Welbeck who made the big play deep into extra time.

Eddie Howe’s team started strong, with Isak forcing an early block from Adam Webster before sending a weak shot into Bart Verbruggen’s hands. But the Swedish striker was deadly from the spot, sending his penalty high into the top corner after Minteh clumsily brought down Tino Livramento in the box.

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Newcastle thought they had a second goal when Isak scored in the 32nd minute after a nice pass from Harvey Barnes, but VAR ruled it offside. That was a turning point, as Brighton struck back just before the break. A slip in Newcastle’s defense let Minteh pass to Joao Pedro before firing a shot past Martin Dubravka, with a little help from a deflection off Kieran Trippier.

The second half was tough, with both teams missing chances. Kaoru Mitoma shot over, Diego Gomez missed the target, and Fabian Schar had a goal ruled out by VAR when he thought he had won it for Newcastle in normal time.

As tensions rose, discipline slipped. Anthony Gordon, one of Newcastle’s bright sparks, got a red card in the 114th minute for shoving Jan Paul van Hecke in the face – a silly move that will keep him out of the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool. Tariq Lamptey followed him off in stoppage time after getting a second yellow for a foul on Jacob Murphy.

With the match looking like it would go to penalties, Solly March’s perfect pass broke through Newcastle’s tired defense, letting Welbeck sprint through and finish calmly, sending the Brighton fans into a frenzy.

For Newcastle, another cup dream ends in heartbreak. For Brighton, their FA Cup journey continues – and with Welbeck playing like this, who knows how far they can go?