“I almost swerved off the road!” – Eddie Howe reacts to Manchester City FA Cup quarter-final tie

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has reacted to Wednesday’s Emirates FA Cup quarter-final draw with Manchester City.

Manchester City will face Newcastle at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday 16th March in the Emirates FA Cup quarter-finals, with Pep Guardiola and Eddie Howe meeting for a fourth time this season.

A semi-final tie at Wembley Stadium awaits the winners of the clash, with Newcastle having already knocked Manchester City out of the League Cup this season, winning 1-0 at St James’ Park in the fourth round in September, courtesy of Alexander Isak’s second-half strike.

City have won both Premier League meetings with Newcastle this campaign, and are also the holders of the FA Cup following last season’s historic win over Manchester United in June.

Oscar Bobb scored a dramatic late winner during a 3-2 win at St James’ Park in January, meanwhile Julian Alvarez scored the only goal during a 1-0 win over Newcastle at the Etihad Stadium in August.

The Carabao Cup defeat is City’s only loss to the Magpies in any of the previous 12 meetings between the two clubs, with Guardiola having faced Newcastle on 16 previous occasions.

Wolves, Coventry, Chelsea, Leicester City, Manchester United and Liverpool all still remain in the competition.

Revealing his reaction to drawing Manchester City in the quarter-finals, Howe said: “I was driving at the time and I almost swerved off the road! It wasn’t the draw we wanted, that’s for sure.

“I’m not sure anybody wants to play Manchester City four times in a season, but I believe we can beat anybody when we’re at our best.”

Newcastle reached the quarter-final stages with a penalty shoot-out win over Blackburn Rovers on Tuesday evening.

Manchester City thumped Luton Town to qualify for the last-eight, winning 6-2 at Kenilworth Road after five goals from Erling Haaland and a long-range strike from Mateo Kovacic.

The Sky Blues have also beaten Huddersfield Town and Tottenham during the current FA Cup campaign.