Ryan Taylor, a bit of a free-kick specialist, stands over the ball 30 yards out but he's still rusty after that long lay-off and he fires a set-piece straight into the Manchester City wall.

Gary Wilkinson:, external If Tadic assisted Pelle against Stoke, get him off. Save those assists for when they can win me fantasy football points!

Liz Tray:, external Not only have we been average to poor all season but now, 4 days before a derby, Pellegrini has risked Silva and it's backfired.

Former Stoke City defender and 1972 League Cup winner Denis Smith on BBC Radio Stoke: "It's a great finish but Stoke have to do better themselves. They are not closing down right and Pelle has too much time to turn, though he still has a lot to do. A super finish and you cannot give him that much space."

What a start at the Etihad, where David Silva limps off with an injured left knee which was sustained just before the Newcastle goal went in. Samir Nasri, making his own return from injury, replaces the playmaker. Injury worries ahead of the derby for City.

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Alan Pardew's a managerial genius. Or something like that. One of the precocious teenagers he has brought into the team stuns the Etihad. The chance comes from Fernandinho's mistake deep into his own half and Rolando Aarons picks up the ball before confidently sliding it past Willy Caballero.

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Everyone is wondering if Graziano Pelle's bubble will burst, but the Italian now has eight club goals for the season and his latest is a stunner.

He picks the ball up centrally and is afforded some space by the Stoke defence to turn in devastating fashion and unleash an effort which curls and beats Asmir Begovic. Ronald Koeman's side lead. They have won eight of their last nine games. Some form.

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Danny Mills
BBC Radio 5 live at Etihad Stadium

"David Silva is not the type of player to go down easily - and I'm not sure what he's done there. Maybe his studs got caught in the turf and if you do that you can jar your knee or jar your hip."

Stoke have a morbid record against Southampton, with just three wins in the last 24 meetings. They start well at the Britannia though as Mame Biram Diouf attempts an overhead kick from eight yards but his effort is over the bar.

Worrying times for Manchester City as David Silva is innocuously bundles over on the edge of the box by Ryan Taylor. The Spanish playmaker clutches his left knee and the physio is called for.

Danny Mills
BBC Radio 5 live at Etihad Stadium

"Manchester City still have plenty of quality in their side - it is going to be very difficult for Newcastle. For Alan Pardew, clearly this competition is not their priority. If they were playing a Cardiff or a Swansea they might have thought they had a decent chance and played a stronger side."

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Thousands have made their way down from the north east for this one. Passionate fans, those Magpies. Nothing in it early doors - City in all blue, Newcastle in black and white.

Tasked with keeping out Tottenham for Brighton tonight is 18-year-old goalkeeper Christian Walton, making his debut for the Championship side. The teenager is highly rated, having reportedly been watched by Manchester City and Arsenal in recent months.

We're under way at the Etihad and also at the Britannia. Let it rain goals...

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Jermaine Jenas
Former Tottenham midfielder on BBC Radio 5 live

"It's great to have a cup run and for these teams to field lesser teams it's maybe not insulting but I just don't know why they are doing it. Brighton and Tottenham are not on the best of runs at the moment and all it takes is a good cup run to come out of that."

Peter Collins:, external The amount of criticism at Pardew is unbelievable. They haven't even kicked off yet!

Enough of this Ed Sheeran chat for now though. We'll stick with Ed Dzeko et al.

Mark Clattenburg is the ref tonight. Surely the game hasn't been delayed because the ref was late setting off because he couldn't find his Ed Sheeran CD for the car?

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Newcastle manager Alan Pardew on Sky Sports: "It's a difficult game for us because we've got an early game on Saturday and I've had to look at that, so the team that I've put out is not as strong as I would have liked.

"Manchester City are vulnerable, West Ham showed that at the weekend and we'll be hoping to get at them and expose them tonight."

If Newcastle get soundly beaten tonight, especially after making so many changes, I fear Alan Pardew might get a few pelters heading his way. Or the odd letter from a neighbour (18:18).

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew, speaking to Sky Sports: "It is important tonight we get to grips with them when they have the ball, that is when they are most dangerous, but they are vulnerable."