Gary Lineker, the host of Match of the Day, jokingly claimed that Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer hid beneath his desk upon learning that the Magpies would face Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-finals. Newcastle advanced to the last eight after a penalty shootout victory against Blackburn Rovers, with goalkeeper Martin Dubravka emerging as the hero by saving Dominic Hyam’s spot kick in a 4-3 shootout win. The draw for the quarter-finals took place prior to the FA Cup fifth-round matches, and Newcastle was drawn to face Pep Guardiola’s formidable Manchester City side, presenting a challenging task for their journey to Wembley in the semi-finals.
Alan Shearer, the Newcastle United legend, was in Nottinghamshire for the evening as he assumed the co-commentator role alongside Steve Bower for the BBC’s Match of the Day coverage of the match between Nottingham Forest and Manchester United. As Gary Lineker handed over to Shearer and Bower in the commentary booth, Lineker jokingly mentioned that Shearer may still be struggling to come to terms with the draw that pitted Newcastle against Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-finals. Bower chimed in, cautioning Lineker not to tease Shearer before kick-off and revealing that Shearer had momentarily hidden underneath his desk upon hearing about the quarter-final draw. After Bower introduced the teams, he humorously noted that Shearer had emerged from under the desk. Shearer, laughing along, acknowledged the tough draw and thanked Lineker for the reminder. The FA Cup quarter-final match between Newcastle and Manchester City is scheduled to take place on either Saturday, March 16, or Sunday, March 17.
