Newcastle United and Bournemouth served up a proper cup spectacle at St James’ Park today, drawing 3–3 after extra time in a tie packed with momentum swings, late twists and raw emotion before Newcastle eventually squeezed through on penalties. It felt like two games in one: a tense, tactical contest that exploded into chaos once the goals arrived, and then an extra-time drama where both sides thought they’d won it—only for the other to snatch it away.
The opening stages set the tone for a frantic afternoon. Bournemouth showed they hadn’t travelled to admire the stadium, testing Aaron Ramsdale early and carrying a threat in transition. Newcastle responded with bright attacking movement of their own, and there were warning signs at both ends before the deadlock finally broke just after the interval. Harvey Barnes, lively throughout, combined neatly with Nick Woltemade and then sprinted into the box to take the return pass, sliding a composed finish beyond Djordje Petrovic to put the home side in front.
That lead never looked secure. Bournemouth should have levelled almost immediately when a loose pass across Newcastle’s own area gifted a chance, but Ramsdale bailed his defenders out at a crucial moment. Newcastle then threatened to double their advantage through set pieces, with Sven Botman coming agonisingly close when his header struck the underside of the bar. Instead of 2–0, it turned into a Bournemouth surge that flipped the tie on its head in the space of seconds. First, Alex Scott arrived at the far post to tap in after a sharp move down the flank, and moments later David Brooks struck from the edge of the area after the initial danger wasn’t cleared, suddenly making it 2–1 to the visitors and silencing St James’ Park.
Newcastle had to chase, and as the clock ran down the pressure became relentless. Petrovic produced a couple of excellent saves to keep Bournemouth ahead, but deep into stoppage time the tie swung again when the goalkeeper brought down Sandro Tonali in the box. Anthony Gordon, under huge pressure, drilled the penalty home to force extra time and drag Newcastle back from the brink.
The added half-hour was breathless, with legs heavy and spaces appearing everywhere. Bournemouth had big openings to win it, including one-on-one moments where they couldn’t quite find the finish, while Newcastle kept piling bodies forward. With the match creeping toward a shootout, Barnes struck again in the 118th minute, rising to head in Gordon’s cross and sending the home crowd into eruption as if the contest had finally been settled. It hadn’t. Bournemouth refused to fold, and in the dying seconds of extra time Marcus Tavernier popped up with an equaliser to make it 3–3 and force penalties in the most dramatic fashion.
The shootout was fittingly nerve-shredding. Both teams traded blows, and there were misses that threatened to tilt the tie either way, but Ramsdale became the decisive figure. He threw himself into the moment, getting hands to multiple efforts and making the kind of saves that turn keepers into cup heroes, and Newcastle eventually edged the shootout 7–6 to move into the next round.
Afterwards, Eddie Howe praised his players’ resilience and the way they kept finding a response, admitting the extra 30 minutes was the last thing Newcastle wanted given the schedule ahead but insisting the priority was simply to get through. He also hinted at concern over knocks and fatigue, acknowledging the tie demanded a huge physical effort. Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola struck a proud-but-gutted tone, describing it as the sort of rollercoaster cup tie everyone talks about, and pointing to moments—particularly in extra time—when his side had chances to finish the job. He felt his players matched Newcastle for long spells, showed real character to equalise twice late on, but ultimately paid the price in the shootout.
For Newcastle, it was a survival story with a happy ending—proof of belief, depth and staying power. For Bournemouth, it was a brutal way to go out: so close to a famous away win, only to be denied after 120 minutes of drama.
