Newcastle United have been dumped out of the FA Cup by a League One side for the second successive season following a pitiful 2-1 defeat against Sheffield Wednesday.
The much-changed Magpies found themselves with a mountain to climb in their third-round tie after Josh Windass scored two goals in the space of just 13 minutes after the break. Although substitute Bruno Guimaraes pulled one back in the 69th minute, the visitors never looked like equalising.
Here are five things we learned from the game.
READ MORE: Sheffield Wednesday vs Newcastle United highlights
Chris Wood's miss sums up another awful cup night
An FA Cup third-round shock at the hands of League One opposition. Sound familiar? Nearly a year to the day since Newcastle's humiliating giant killing at the hands of Cambridge United, the Magpies were knocked out by Sheffield Wednesday.
This may be a new era, but this was a case of same old Newcastle in the FA Cup as Eddie Howe's side were eliminated at this stage for the 10th time in 17 seasons. As impressive and brave as Wednesday were, Newcastle only had themselves to blame.
The visitors were incredibly wasteful in front of goal, scoring only once from 22 shots, and substitute Chris Wood's horror miss late on summed up a woeful night after he blazed over in space following good work from Joelinton. Newcastle were not much better at the back and the black-and-whites were easily taken apart for both of Wednesday's goals.
Newcastle quickly have the chance to make amends, in the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Leicester City on Tuesday night, and that feels like an even bigger game now. The Magpies simply can't let this defeat destabilise their season after their 15-game unbeaten run came to an end following their first defeat since August.
Eddie Howe's gamble backfires
Eddie Howe did not name his team for this side until after he had assessed training on Friday. However, given how Newcastle had a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Leicester City to come in just three days, during a potentially packed run of fixtures this month, changes were always on the cards.
However, Howe made a whopping eight changes from the side that held league leaders Arsenal at the Emirates on Tuesday night. Sven Botman, Sean Longstaff and Joelinton the only survivors to keep their places as a number of fringe players were given rare outings.
Jamal Lewis made his first start of the season; Matt Ritchie was included in the first XI for only the second time in 2022-23; and Elliot Anderson started a game for only the third occasion. No wonder Newcastle looked like a rusty side thrown together and that was evident long before Wednesday scored.
In the sixth minute, for instance, Jamal Lewis' sloppy throw-in was seized upon by Liam Palmer, but the Wednesday captain could only fire wide. Then, just before the quarter hour mark, Josh Windass pounced on Anderson's poor backpass but, again, the hosts could not hit the target.
If they were warning signs, well, Newcastle did not exactly heed them and Windass went on to make the Magpies pay in the second half.
Bench are unable to turn tide as owners sent reminder
When Newcastle went behind at Tranmere in the Carabao Cup earlier this season, the bench rescued the tie for the Magpies. However, this time, not even Bruno Guimaraes, Joe Willock, Miguel Almiron and Kieran Trippier could keep the visitors in the competition.
Bruno, to be fair, pulled a goal back for his side, from Trippier's corner, but this was a night that reminded you of some of the limitations of Newcastle's squad beyond Howe's first-choice Premier League XI. Howe admitted on the eve of this game that this was a squad that was 'not hugely deep in terms of numbers'. The Newcastle boss went on to say that his side would 'probably' not be able to compete on three fronts with injuries - and so it proved.
If ever Newcastle's owners needed a reminder, there is still work to do in the transfer market in 2023 and the years ahead to reinforce this squad. This was an eye-opener.
Alexander Isak offers some hope
Eddie Howe has been keen not to rush Alexander Isak's recovery, after the striker previously suffered a setback with his thigh injury, but the record signing was fit to start for the first time since September on Saturday night. Sometimes it is easy to forget Newcastle have got to where they are this season without being able to call upon Isak for more than four months so you can see why Howe likened the striker's return to making a 'new signing'.
Isak quickly made an impression at Hillsborough and looked Newcastle's most dangerous outlet on a night where the visitors were otherwise blunt in attack. As well as having a header saved by Cameron Dawson from point-blank range in the fifth minute, Isak also forced the goalkeeper into a fine save midway through the first half after Javier Manquillo slipped him in. Had Isak had a run of games behind him, you suspect the 23-year-old would have buried at least one of those chances with some further match sharpness. It could have been a very different story if he did but, tellingly, Newcastle did not look the same threat when Isak went off as planned at half-time.
Martin Dubravka appears here to stay
If Martin Dubravka's return to Newcastle United on New Year's Day came as a surprise to supporters, well, the coaching team were not necessarily expecting it, either. Dubravka asked to come back after only making two appearances on loan at Manchester United and the Slovakia international was immediately welcomed back into the group, taking his place on the bench at the Emirates on Tuesday night.
After the game, Howe said he hoped Dubravka will 'play a big part' in the second half of the campaign so it was going to be interesting to see if the veteran started his first game for the club since May at Hillsborough. After all, if Dubravka did not line-up in a third-round cup tie against League One opposition, it was hard to see the 33-year-old playing for Newcastle again unless Nick Pope is sidelined by injury.
Dubravka duly started on a night the veteran will hope does not prove his final game for the club given how it ended. After now appearing for both Manchester United and Newcastle this season, it is hard to see the 'keeper moving on this month at least.
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