Result: Arsenal 2-0 Newcastle United
Date: 09 January 2021
Venue: Emirates Stadium
FA Cup holders Arsenal advanced to the fourth round with a 2-0 win over Newcastle United in extra-time on Saturday night.
The Gunners were dealt a blow just before the kick-off as Gabriel Martinelli suffered an injury in the warm-up and was replaced by Reiss Nelson.
The hosts had the majority of the possession but they had to wait until the 24th minute for a clear-cut opening but Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was denied by Matt Dubravka.
Newcastle, meanwhile, were unable to test the Gunners defence, which included David Luiz for the first time since the loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers last month.
Unfortunately, that proved to be the trend for the remainder of the first as Mikel Arteta's charges were also unable to create in the final third.
After a quiet start to the second half, Aubameyang was presented with another opening on the hour mark but he failed to steer his strike on target.
Both managers looked to their benches for the final 20 minutes as Arteta threw on Granit Xhaka and Bukayo Saka while Steve Bruce with draw Krafth for Jacob Murphy.
Neither side were able to find a breakthrough in the stages of the half, which ultimately sent the game to extra-time as replays have now been removed from the competition.
The Gunners were lucky not to have been reduced to 10 men before the full-time whistle when Emile Smith-Rowe was shown a straight red card, but a view review on the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), the referee changed his decision to a yellow card.
Smith-Rowe would go on to break Newcastle's resistance in the second half of extra-time with a neat finish into the bottom corner.
Aubameyang wrapped up the win with two minutes left in the contest after turning home Keiran Tierney's cross in the six-yard box to send the Gunners into the fourth round.
