Aston Villa’s complete away day performance boosted their title hopes, as Unai Emery’s men scored in each half of a 2-0 win over Newcastle United at St. James’ Park on Sunday.
Emiliano Buendia and Ollie Watkins scored the goals as the Villans soaked up loads of Newcastle pressure but used timely interventions from Emiliano Martinez and solid days from Pau Torres and Ezri Konsa to claim all three points.
WATCH — Newcastle v Aston Villa full match replay
The win boosts Villa back level on points with second place Man City, though quite a distance behind them in goal differential, four points back of leaders Arsenal before Sunday’s meeting of the Gunners and Manchester United.
Newcastle are the middle of three teams on 33 points, in ninth place behind Brentford on wins and goals scored.
Emiliano Martinez and Villa’s backs safeguard the points
The game swung on a moment of magic, as Emiliano Buendia’s fantastic 18th-minute goal allowed Villa to let the game come to them. Villa boss Unai Emery sure knows how to protect three points, and Villa put in the proverbial hard yards on Sunday to fluster a Newcastle side that produced possession but not finish without the injured Bruno Fernandes. Newcastle’s front three of Harvey Barnes, Yoane Wissa, and Anthony Gordon struggled to get on the ball, especially the latter two who were lifted in favor of Nick Woltemade and Anthony Elanga after the hour mark. The touches situation did not improve from there, although Elanga was lively, as Ezri Konsa continued a stout performance the full 90 and Tyrone Mings entered for Pau Torres to lock down the game. When danger did arrive, there was Emi Martinez. The Villa man made four saves and claimed any number of corner kicks and crosses as Newcastle’s service was plenty off on the day. The Magpies were missing Bruno Guimaraes and his interplay with the forward like Woltemade, but this loss was not about chance creation — Newcastle beat Villa 2.30-1.16 in that department — but commitment and completion. Villa had both, and that will likely be the difference between the two sides at the end of the season.
What’s next?
The Magpies continue a gauntlet of fixtures when they head to PSG for a Wednesday finale of the Champions League league phase. They’ll then head to Liverpool at 3pm ET Saturday in the Premier League before a League Cup semifinal second leg at Manchester City on February 4. Phew.
Villa host RB Salzburg on Thursday in the Europa League before a 9am Sunday visit from Brentford in the Premier League.
Newcastle vs Aston Villa final score: 0-2
Emiliano Buendia 19', Ollie Watkins 88'
Ollie Watkins goal — Newcastle 0-2 Villa
Villa keep the ball off a corner kick and the ball is swept toward the back post where multiple Villans have reacted quicker than Lewis Hall and Sven Botman.
Good finish from Watkins. Rough day for the Magpies.
Newcastle sub
Joe Willock replaces Tonali, who has been all over the pitch.
It’s a Miley, Ramsey, Willock midfield for the final seven minutes-plus.
Magpies in the ascendancy
Elanga and Woltemade making differences but the Magpies are wasting so many chances by piping the ball too near to Emiliano Martinez.
The goalkeeper is now feeling a 78th-minute injury after claiming a corner. Most in the building are questioning the inspiration for that pain.
Villa subs
Pau Torres, Emi Buendia, and an injured Tielemans exit for Tyrone Mings, Lucas Digne, and Lamare Bogarde in the 75th minute.
Newcastle subs
Yoane Wissa and Anthony Gordon leave the game for Nick Woltemade and Anthony Elanga in the 63rd minute.
Villa sub
Sancho goes off for Leon Bailey in the 59th minute.
Close!
Lewis Miley sends in a beautiful cross from the right. Harvey Barnes’ lunge gets a small piece of the ball and so Anthony Gordon has to re-adjust his body and can only bluntly send the ball nowhere near goal.
Joelinton injury
A good moment out of the gates as the Magpies attack Villa but a bad moment follows as Joelinton needs treatment for what looks to be an upper leg/groin injury.
Jacob Ramsey will enter the fray in the 48th minute.
Halftime — Newcastle 0-1 Aston Villa
Mild boos for Eddie Howe’s men as the Magpies exit the pitch down one.
Bruno Guimaraes’ absence has been notable but perhaps not as glaring as expected, though Buendia has found more room to operate than is normally evident against Newcastle’s engine room.
Magpies on 57% possession and lead xG by about 0.2 but being out-attempted 8-4.
Nick Woltemade and Anthony Elanga are on the bench, and Jacob Ramsey too. Villa are sure to look to Evann Guessand and maybe recently-returned Leon Bailey.
Another big Martinez save!
This could so easily be a 2-2 game, but both goalkeepers have had big saves.
Martinez’s two stops have kept a zero on the hosts’ side of the board, the latest a glove denial of Lewis Miley before halftime.
Emiliano Buendia goal — Newcastle 0-1 Aston Villa
It’s a beautiful finish to a great team goal, as Buendia takes the spoils of a many-pass sequence and curls the ball into the upper 90 from outside the 18.
Gorgeous.
Pope denies Watkins
A error from Thiaw allows Ollie Watkins a half-chance as he’s closed down by Sven Botman, and the striker looks set to make the most of it.
Pope gets a piece of it, and the resulting short corner comes to nothing.
Buendia manufactures danger
Tonali loses the ball in the midfield and there’s a sea of bodies between the ball and the goal.
Emi Buendia sees that as an invitation and challenges Nick Pope with a 30-yard shot, and the keeper gets to his left for a parry.
0-0, 6'
Excellent leg save!
Sandro Tonali gets into the box and tears into a left-footed shot away from the dive of Emiliano Martinez.
The keeper somehow stretches his foot to get a piece of the ball and keep it scoreless in the second minute.
Bright start!
Newcastle lineup
Pope, Trippier,, Botman, Thiaw, Hall, Tonali, Joelinton, Miley, Gordon, Barnes, Wissa
Aston Villa lineup
Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Maatsen, Onana, Tielemans, Sancho, Buendia, Rogers, Watkins
Newcastle vs Aston Villa preview
The Villans sit third with 43 points after stumbling along with Arsenal and second-place Man City, and they’ve claimed just four points from 12 including a Week 19 loss to the leaders at the Emirates Stadium.
Newcastle have claimed 10 of 12 points since December 30, but the last meeting was a disappointing scoreless draw at Wolves and their next five matches are quite the ask.
After Villa, the Magpies will face Liverpool, Brentford, Spurs, and Man City. They open the stretch with 33 points, three points off fourth-place Liverpool, and this stretch will go a long way to determine their season.
Newcastle team news, focus
OUT: Jacob Murphy (thigh), Valentino Livramento (thigh), Fabian Schar (ankle), Emil Krafth (thigh), Jamaal Lascelles (muscular) | QUESTIONABLE: Dan Burn (broken rib/punctured lung), William Osula (ankle), Bruno Guimaraes (lower body)
Aston Villa team news, focus
OUT: Boubacar Kamara (knee), Ross Barkley (knee), John McGinn (knee)
Newcastle vs Aston Villa prediction
Newcastle have one more day of rest than the Villans, who had a real test from Fenerbahce in Turkiye. The Magpies and Villans scrambled a 0-0 draw at Villa Park. Can Eddie Howe engineer some more SJP magic to swing three points to his column? Maybe... Newcastle 1-1 Aston Villa.
How to watch Newcastle vs Aston Villa live, stream link and start time
Kick off time: 9am ET Sunday
Venue: St. James’ Park — Newcastle upon Tyne
TV Channel: NBCSN
Streaming: Stream live on Peacock
