Anthony Gordon makes Sunderland claim after Newcastle United FA Cup draw

The Newcastle United players are excited at the prospect of facing local rivals Sunderland in the FA Cup at the Stadium of Light next month.

The sides have been drawn in the FA Cup third round in what will be the first competitive meeting since 2016. For all but two Newcastle players (Jamaal Lascelles and Paul Dummett), it will be their first taste of derby action at the club.

Anthony Gordon is one such player who expressed his excitement upon hearing the news of the draw. In footage released by the club, Gordon said with a smile: "Sunderland away, ey? I've been dying to play in that game."

Paul Dummett also reacted to the draw on Sunday by posting on social media: "This weekend just got better."

Since the last meeting between the sides, Newcastle have been relegated to the Championship, promoted back to the Premier League, fought relegation and qualified for the Champions League. Meanwhile, Sunderland have been relegated to the Championship, relegated to League One - where they spent four seasons before returning to the Championship in 2022.

Newcastle head into the game as strong favourites but Sunderland haven't lost a derby match since August 2011, winning six in a row before the 1-1 draw in 2016. The match will take place on the weekend of January 6 and January 7 with a kick-off time and date yet to be confirmed.

Given the scale of the fixture, it is likely to be selected for live television broadcast as Eddie Howe looks to win his first FA Cup match as Newcastle head coach. The previous two years have seen The Magpies exit the competition in the third round to lower-league opposition having lost 2-1 at Sheffield Wednesday last season and 1-0 at home to Cambridge United the season prior.

When asked about the draw, Howe said: "I thought someone was winding me up.

"I didn't see the draw so I was relying on other people to tell me. It's a brilliant draw and I think it will be a great game and something to look forward to - but there's a lot of football to be played between now and then."