Newcastle United came through a difficult FA Cup clash with Birmingham City on Saturday to reach the fifth round of the competition for just the third time in 19 years. One of those occasions was last season where they were beaten 2-0 by Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, and the other back in 2019/20 whereby they were beaten by the same opponents and the same scoreline.

There is a chance the two sides could still meet in this year's competition, with the fifth round draw set to take place later this evening but Eddie Howe's side will hold no fear. Having come through a battle with League One side Birmingham, the Magpies boss will have been pleased to see his side avoid yet another banana skin, having seen off League Two side Bromley in the third round.

That's something their Premier League rivals haven't been able to say, with Liverpool unceremoniously dumped out of the competition by Championship basement boys Plymouth Argyle. Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea were also knocked out of the competition this weekend, with Arsenal exiting the competition in the previous round.

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Both Manchester clubs are still in the draw, albeit the Toon's biggest threat in this year's competition may come from elsewhere in the top flight, with high flying Bournemouth and Unai Emery's Aston Villa still in the competition. Like every trophy winner, Newcastle will need a slice of luck on their side if they are to go all the way, and the Magpies haven't reached the final of the FA Cup since the 1998/99 campaign where they were beaten by Man United in the final.

The Toon had reached the final on two other occasions since they last held the trophy aloft, in 1997/98, where Arsenal reigned triumphant and in 1973/74 where Liverpool were crowned FA Cup winners. Reaching this year's final would be another major milestone for Howe and his side, having already secured their place under the Wembley Arch next month for the Carabao Cup Final, but there's no silverware for finishing in second place.

Newcastle will go into that clash with Liverpool next month as the underdogs, but that's something both staff and players will hope works in their favour and the Magpies are able to end their 70-year wait for a domestic trophy. After last weekend's FA Cup results, Howe's men are the only team who can still complete a domestic treble, following Liverpool's defeat to Plymouth - though the Reds lead at the top of the Premier League looks insurmountable at this stage.

You have to go back tom 1954/55 for Newcastle's last domestic trophy triumph - a 3-1 win over Man City in the FA Cup. Oh how supporters would take a repeat of that?!

The Toon, of course, would win the Fairs Cup in 1969, and returning to European football remains one of their main aims this season given the major financial boosts it has to offer.

But, it doesn't take a genius to acknowledge the Magpies may not get a better chance to land some silverware than the current campaign. Both City and United are some way off their imperious, untouchable best from years gone by and the FA Cup is the FA Cup. English football's greatest prize - before the influx of wealth into the Premier League.

Supporters can be forgiven for scepticism and there remains a long way to go before there can be talk of an FA Cup Final, with Howe - as he has done throughout his Newcastle tenure - keen to take it one game at a time with focus never shifting too far into the future.

That doesn't mean supporters can't dream though. Winning not one, but two trophies this season would do wonders for the club and finally mark the beginning of what the Toon Army hope, is a trophy laden spell.Of course that's hypothetical at this stage, but if there is to be a shift in mentality, then why shouldn't there be a belief that Newcastle can go all the way?