Aaron Ramsdale stole the show for Newcastle, dragging them past Bournemouth into the FA Cup fourth round after a nerve-wracking penalty shoot-out. On loan from Southampton, Ramsdale pulled off saves from Evanilson, Alex Jimenez, and Bafode Diakite, sealing a wild 7-6 win after 120 minutes of end-to-end football on a freezing Tyneside afternoon that ended 3-3.

Just when Newcastle thought they’d wrapped it up—Harvey Barnes had nodded them ahead deep into extra time—Marcus Tavernier broke their hearts with an equaliser in the dying seconds to send the tie to penalties.

It was a rollercoaster. Barnes put the hosts ahead, but Bournemouth hit back fast, with Alex Scott and David Brooks flipping the score to 2-1. Anthony Gordon pulled Newcastle level late on from the spot.

Both managers rotated heavily, but Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi—one of the few regulars—came close early, smashing a fifth-minute shot straight at Ramsdale after chasing down Enes Unal’s knockdown.

Newcastle could’ve struck first just two minutes later. Djordje Petrovic stretched to keep out Yoane Wissa’s curling effort after Nick Woltemade set him up with a clever flick from Barnes.

After that, things slowed down. Ramsdale dealt with another Kroupi shot on the half-hour after substitute Evanilson, who’d come on for the injured Unal, played him in. The game drifted as Bournemouth started to find its feet.

Sandro Tonali fired wide from a distance, and Scott’s shot from a tight angle was blocked before halftime, with neither side really threatening.

That changed right after the break. Barnes played in Woltemade, sprinted into the box for the return pass, and coolly slotted past the onrushing Petrovic.

Bournemouth almost hit back immediately. Tino Livramento’s risky ball across his own box landed at Evanilson’s feet, but Ramsdale bailed him out.

Evanilson did have the ball in the net after Ramsdale spilt Kroupi’s rocket, but he was offside. Then Sven Botman nearly doubled Newcastle’s lead, his header clanging off the underside of the bar.

Bournemouth didn’t waste their next chance. Evanilson and Brooks combined, and Scott tapped home at the far post. Moments later, Brooks pounced on a rebound and curled a brilliant shot past Ramsdale to put Bournemouth in front.

Petrovic twice kept Gordon out, the second stop a real stunner, but then brought down Tonali to give away a penalty. Gordon smashed it home in added time.

Barnes looked like the hero when he powered in Gordon’s cross in extra time, but Tavernier popped up with the sixth goal of the game to send it to penalties. And after all the drama, Ramsdale had the final say.

Newcastle United has a shot at signing Oscar Mingueza from Celta Vigo. According to Simon Jones from the Daily Mail, Celta are looking to sell now rather than lose him for nothing when his contract runs out next summer. They’ve slapped an £8 million price tag on him for this window and have already let clubs like Aston Villa, West Ham, and Newcastle know he’s available.

This isn’t just an English rumour either. Spanish outlet Estadio Deportivo reported on Friday that Celta sent out a memo to a whole list of clubs—Olympique de Marseille, Aston Villa, West Ham, Newcastle, Atalanta, Milan, and Como—basically offering Mingueza around in hopes of sparking a deal.

Mingueza came to Celta from Barcelona for free back in July 2022. Since then, he’s worked his way back into the spotlight in La Liga, racking up more than 100 appearances, chipping in seven goals and twelve assists, and proving he can play pretty much anywhere across the back line.

He’s not just a centre-back. He fills in at both full-back spots too, which is exactly the kind of flexibility Newcastle could use right now. The club’s dealing with a thin defence thanks to injuries, and with Kieran Trippier in his mid-30s, there’s a big question mark over the right side moving forward.

From Newcastle’s point of view, Mingueza checks a lot of boxes. He fits the club’s current approach under Eddie Howe—smart deals, not huge spending—and he’s the kind of short-term fix that makes sense for a squad that needs depth without breaking the bank.

Also, a quick aside: remember the 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs? Toronto FC and the Seattle Sounders battled in freezing conditions for the title. It was a tight, low-chance match that only came alive late in extra time when Jozy Altidore nearly won it with a header, only for Stefan Frei to make that now-famous save. Before getting caught up in that drama, it's worth remembering how both teams and their players were chasing their first championship. Quite the journey.