Unai Emery speaks ...
“I am very thankful, firstly, to the supporters because today they help,” he tells BT Sport. “Our game plan was one in which the players were very focussed on what to do. Offensively and defensively focussed for 90 minutes. We conceded only one corner and this is a team who have had more corners than anyone else this season.
“We have to be balanced and not think that after this victory everything is going to be easy. Completely different, it’s going to be very difficult because now we are a new target. But this challenge I want to take with the players.”
Kieran Trippier speaks: ““From minute one we knew we weren’t right,” he tells BT Sport. “Aston Villa came out of the traps quickly;. The way we played wasn’t ourselves. We’ve got to forget about his result as we have big games coming up.
“[I expect the manager to] go mad to be honest. Like I said before, out of possession we are normally aggressive and press. Today in possession we were long ball and that’s unlike us. We will focus on the game against Spurs.”
Eddie Howe speaks ...
“I think it’s one of those performances that we need to analyse and then probably move on quite quickly because we weren’t there today,” he tells BT Sport. “Aston Villa played very well, you have to give them a lot of credit, but from our own high standards, we were probably off it in every discipline of the game. When that’s the case, you’re never going to win.”
Match report: Aston Villa 3-0 Newcastle United
Premier League: Ollie Watkins will be prominent in the watching Gareth Southgate’s thoughts after scoring two goals and superbly laying on another in an impressive destruction of Newcastle. Ben Fisher reports from Villa Park …
John McGinn: “It was a superb performance,” said Villa’s captain in an interview with the BBC. “Newcastle are a very, very good team. They remind me of Leeds a couple of years ago; in the build-up to the game, you know you’ve got to run and fight, prepare a bit extra. Even at 1-0, they are bringing on players who can change the game. The third goal was sweet, then we could enjoy it.”
Ollie Watkins on the confidence being shown by Villa: “Yeah, trusting you team-mates in tight area and knowing that if we make a mistake we just go again. There’s a real togetherness in the team and we’re looking forward to the games to come.”
Ollie Watkins: “We’re on a great run at the moment and we’re playing good football,” he tells BT Sport. “Newcastle are a top side and they didn’t really have much chances today, which shows the level we’re at. I think we’re all enjoying our football here at Villa Park and once we get that first goal it’s a hard place for anyone to come. Everyone knows what they’re doing and it’s enjoyable to play here.”
Man of the Match: It’s no surprise that Ollie Watkins got the man of the match award but he had plenty of assistance. Jacob Ramsey opened the scoring for Villa and should have had a second only to be denied by the woodwork.
Villa left-back Alex Moreno will be visiting Kieran Trippier in his nightmares, while John McGinn was also outstanding in midfield for Villa. In their defence, Tyrone Mings looks back to his very best and was a composed presence in a back four that rarely looked like conceding.
Full time: Aston Villa 3-0 Newcastle United
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeeeeeep! Aston Villa make it five wins from five with a statement performance during which they piled the hurt on Newcastle. They stay in sixth place, just three points behind Tottenham Hotspur and six behind Manchester United in fourth, albeit having played two games more than Erik Ten Hag’s side.
90+4 min: Jhon Duran picks up a yellow card for a foul on Sean Longstaff.
90+1 min: Villa substitution: Ollie Watkins goes off to a warm ovation from the Villa fans, on the back of an absolutely outstanding performance. To repeat, he’s scroed two, hit tthe post, provided an assist and had a goal ruled out for the narrowest of offsides. He’s now on a run of 11 goals in 12 games. He’s replaced here by Jhon Duran, a 19-year-old from Medelin in Colombia.
90 min: Isak launches a ball forward from deep for Wilson to chase. His delivery is too close to Martinez.
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88 min: Newcastle free-kick, wide on the left in line with the edge of the penalty area. Trippier sends the ball in to the mixer, Villa can’t quite clear at the first time of asking but Mings eventually tidies up.
86 min: Newcastle are having their collective backside handed to them on the back of an outstanding performance from Aston Villa. Both sides came into this game on excellent runs of form but Villa have been simply brilliant this afternoon and if anything, the scoreline seriously flatters their visitors.
GOAL! Aston Villa 3-0 Newcastle (Watkins 83)
Watkins scores again! He latches on to a pull-back from Buendia and slots into the far corner for his second goal of the game. There was terrific work from John McGinn in the build-up, Villa’s captain showing great strength to hold off a defender and get the ball to Buendia.
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81 min: Emi Martinez dawdles over another free-kick, testing the patience of referee John Brooks with his time-wasting tactics.
79 min: Moreno tries to wreak more havoc down the right for Villa and wins his side a throw-in deep in Newcastle territory. Newcastle substittuion: Elliot Anderson on for Joelinton, who is one of several Newcastle players to have had a very poor game.
77 min: There’s another block from Tyrone Mings, who flings himself in front of a Miguel Almiron shot after the substitute had received a cross from Tippier.
73 min: While Newcastle are unlikely to throw in the towel, one suspects that second goal has rather knocked the stuffing out of them. They’ve had no answer to the problems posed by Villa in general and Watkins in particular today.
The striker has scored, hit the post, had a goal disallowed for the most marginal of offsides, forced two good saves out of Nick Pope and provided an excellent assist. He’ll fancy his chances of an England recall with Gareth Southgate in attendance today.
71 min: Newcastle were starting to dominate the game and have never looked better this afternoon than immediately after their first double-substitution. Unai Emery is a canny operator, however and it didn’t take him long to make the tweaks that re-established his side’s far stronger foothold in the game.
70 min: From a Villa corner, Ashley Young unleashes a shot. Nick Pope sees it late but punches clear.
69 min: Newcastle double-substitution: Matt Targett and Sean Longstaff on for Dan Burn and Joe Willock.
68 min: Ollie Watkins has been unplayable today, sprinting in behind unopposed, dancing between the lines and generally making Newcastle’s central defenders look like training cones. They simply can’t cope with him. Alex Moreno’s been outsatanding too and Villa’s apparent plan to target Kieran Trippier has borne fruit.
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66 min: That was an awful goal for Newcastle to give away but Watkins, McGinn and Moreno all played a part in the build-up. McGinn, who saw a shot from distance fizz narrowly wide a few moments previously, picked out Moreno, whose low cross to the feet of Watkins was inch-perfect.
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GOAL! Aston Villa 2-0 Newcastle (Watkins 65)
This one will count! Ollie Watkins scores his 10th in 12, collecting a low Moreno cross on the edge of the six-yard box with his back to goal. Despite the close attention of Dan Burn, he somehow managed to turn and prod the ball past Nick Pope.
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GOAL DISALLOWED!
Aston Villa 1-0 Newcastle! It’s as you were after a VAR check. Ollie Watkins was a fraction offside as he set off to chase that through ball from Moreno. His knee was ever so slightly ahead of Sven Botman’s shoulder and it’s another let-off for Newcastle.
GOAL! Aston Villa 2-0 Newcastle (Watkins 61)
Villa double their lead! Watkins runs on to a through ball from Alex Moreno and scores past Pope. Was he offside? There’s going to be a VAR check.
58 min: A Joe Willock cross is cleared, but only as far as Alex Isak. He looks up and tries to curl a shot into the corner. Emi Martinez saves, putting the ball out for a corner. The ball’s sent into penalty area, finds it’s way to Guimaraes, who lofts a pitching wedge towards Almiron. He shoots into the side-netting from a tight angle.
57 min: There’s almost an instant impact from the substitutes. Now playing in a more withdrawn role, Isak curls the ball towards the edge of the six yard box, where Wilson stretches and comes this close to steering it goalwards. Offside.
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56 min: Newcastle double-substitution: Callum Wilson and Miguel Almiron on for Anthony Gordon and Jacob Murphy. Gordon leaves the field without complaint this weekend.
55 min: John McGinn curls the dead ball towards the far post, where it’s cleared.
53 min: Buendia plays the ball wide to Ashley Young, whose first-time cross is like an Exocet missile. It cannons off Trippier’s thigh and out for a corner. From that one, Villa win another.
51 min: Trippier plays a ball down the right for Murphy, whose cross is cleared by Tyrone Mings. Another cross from Trippier is volleyed clear by Mings, who’s having a solid game.
48 min: Alex Moreno plays a delicious ball up the inside left for Watkins to run on to. The striker looks isolated but Sven Botman generously allows him to cut inside on to his right foot and Watkins pulls the trigger. Nick Pope saves his side with another fine save with his feet.
47 min: Villa win a free-kick on the edge of their own penalty area, Douglas Luiz drawing the foul. Emiliano Martinez takes his sweet time before eventually hoofing the ball upfield.
Second half: Aston Villa 1-0 Newcastle United
46 min: Newcastle get the ball rolling for a second half in which they seriously need to up their game if they’re to take anything from this match. Eddie Howe hasn’t made any changes, which is somewhat surprising. His side’s fabled press was extremely ineffective in the first half and Newcastle are being over-run in midfield.
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Half-time: Aston Villa 1-0 Newcastle United
Peep! Vastly superior in the opening 45 minutes, Aston Villa may rue going in with a lead of just one goal, smashed home by Jacob Ramsey. Ollie Watkins hit the woodwork inside 28 seconds, squandering an oppportunity you’d expect him to score in his sleep on current form, while Ramsey also spanked the ball off the cross-bar when he should have done better. Newcastle never really got going in that first half and it will be interesting to see what Eddie Howe reacts after the break.
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45+3 min: Buendia continues to receive treatment after shipping that accidental Burn shoulder in the face. There’s quite a size difference between the pair but Buendia is back on his feet, taking a drink of water.
45+2 min: Emi Buendia goes to ground holding his face after an accidental off-the-ball collision with Dan Burn.
45+1 min: Villa advance upfield through a series of throw-ins but eventually lose possession when the ball goes out of play off John McGinn.
43 min: A John McGinn cross into the Newcastle penalty area hits Kieran Trippier’s arm and the Villa skipper appeals for a spot-kick. None is forthcoming and it’s a good job too as Trippier literally had his hands behind his back as he went to block the cross. And they say that’s a natural position? Only in football officialdom.
41 min: A menace down the left wing, Alex Moreno curls another cross into the Newcastle penalty area, where Nick Pope punches clear at the near post before Watkins can get his head to the ball. Villa win another corner.
40 min: Anthony Gordon is penalised for straying offside as he ran on to a ball down the left touchline from Joe Willock.
39 min: Jacob Murphy has a shot blocked by Tyrone Mings.
38 min: Nick Pope rushes to the edge of his box to head clear before Watkins can latch on to the kind of through ball he thrives on chasing.
36 min: Alex Moreno backs into Kieran Trippier and goes down while trying to shield the ball deep in his own half. It’s a free-kick for Villa, a decision that angers Trippier and Isak, who remonstrate with the linesman. They might have a point.
33 min: Alex Moreno tries to send another cross in from the left. His effort is blocked and Villa win a throw-in. It’s taken, Moreno gives the ball away and Newcastle clear their lines.
31 min: After good link-up play with his fellow bottle-blond Joelinton, Bruno Guimaraes sends a low cross into the Villa penalty area. Tyrone Mings clears the ball with a minimum of fuss.
30 min: Joe Willock tries to jink past Dendoncker down by the byline but the Belgian puts the ball out of play, ensuring it takes a touch off Willock en route. Goal kick.
28 min: Villa throw-in deep in Newcastle territory, won through good work by McGinn. Once again, Alex Moreno gets to the byline and stands the ball up at the far post, where Dan Burn clears with his head. Villa are bossing this game and should be further ahead but Newcastle are far from out of it.
26 min: Leander Dendoncker tries a shot from 30 yards out but sends his effort over the bar.
24 min: Watkins combines with Buendia as Villa surge forward again. His shot from a tight angle takes a deflection off Sven Botman, loops up in the air and drops just wide of the far post. From the resultant corner, the ball is cleared, then sent back into the Newcastle penalty area by John McGinn. Buendia isn’t quite tall enough to get his head to it. Excellent play from Aston Villa.
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23 min: Jacob Murphy curls a delightful ball across the edge of the Villa six-yard box from the right but it’s a mite to close to goal for Alex Isak to connect with.
21 min: Trippier plays a ball down the inside right for Bruno Guimaraes to chase. Emi Martinez charges out of his penalty area and wins the ball, which breaks towards Ollie Watkins. He gets fouled by Fabian Schar, whose name is taken by the referee.
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18 min: There’s been a break in play so Ramsey could receive treatment for an injury. Newcastle will welcome the interruption because they are on the ropes and but for the woodwork, might easily be 3-0 down already. Nick Pope’s also been forced to make a fine save from Watkins, sticking out a foot to block the Villa striker’s shot in the build-up to that Ramsey miss.
15 min: Villa are all over Newcastle and Ollie Watkins is causing the visitors’ defence all sorts of problems. On this occasion he brings a marvellous save out of Nick Pope with a shot through the legs of Fabian Schar. Villa recycled the ball and Moreno teed up Ramsey with a pull-back from the byline. With the goal at his mercy, on this occasion he spanks the ball off the cross-bar. It’s another let-off for Newcastle.
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13 min: That was a tremendous assist from Watkins, who leaped to knock down a curled cross from John McGinn straight into the path of Ramsey. The finish was fine too; a lesser man might have panicked and sent the ball soaring towards the back of the Holte End.
GOAL! Aston Villa 1-0 Newcastle United (Ramsey 11)
Villa lead! Jacob Ramsey smashes the bouncing ball home from 12 yards or so, latching on to an excellent downward header from Ollie Watkins after the ball had been crossed from the right.
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10 min: Villa clear Trippier’s outswinger and advance upfield on the break with Moreno on the ball. The counter-attack comes to nothing and Newcastle win a free-kick halfway inside their own half for a foul committed by Douglas Luiz.
9 min: Alexander Isak takes Newcastle’s first shot in anger. His rising drive is straight at Emi Martinez, who palms the ball over the bar. Corner for Newcastle.
8 min: Newcastle advance down the left with Anthony Gordon on the ball. He runs into traffic and loses it.
7 min: Villa attack down the left. Alex Moreno skips past Kieran Trippier and cuts inside. His cross is cleared.
5 min: Anthony Gordon and Ashley Young contest a fifty-fifty ball out by the far touchline and the ball goes out for a Villa throw-in.
4 min: In a central position, Buendia tries to play Watkins in behind again but can’t get enough pace on his ball around the corner towards the edge of the penalty area.
2 min: That’s some let-off for Newcastle in these very early stages. Such is the excellent form Watkins finds himself these days, you’d have fancied him to score. He wasn’t far away.
1 min: With less than 30 seconds gone, Ollie Watkins is played in behind Sven Botman by a long ball from Douglas Luiz. He holds off the Newcastle defender, rolls the ball past Nick Pope and on to the foot of the post. What a chance that was!
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Kick-off: Aston Villa v Newcastle is go ...
1 min: With Gareth Southgate in attendance alongside England U-21 manager Lee Carsley, Emi Buendia gets the ball rolling for Aston Villa.
Not long now: The teams line up in the tunnel, Villa led by John McGinn and Newcastle by Kieran Trippier. Referee John Brooks and his team of match officials lead them out for the last of the pre-match formalities and kick-off is just a few minutes away at a rocking Villa Park.
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Howe v Emery: It is not lost on Eddie Howe that the only reason he was given the chance to manage Newcastle under their new ownership regime is because Unai Emery turned down the job having been approached first.
The subject was raised at Howe’s pre-match press conference and he was happy to concede that Emery’s decision not to leave Villarreal for Tyneside constituted a massive career break for him.
“Without a doubt it was [life changing],” he said. “I don’t really think back to that moment, maybe I should. But I very rarely tend to go back. I always believe your life takes the journey it is meant to go on. I was due to come here, that is what happened. But I am here because Unai turned the job down, so I’m delighted that he did.
“Fate has a strange way of working and now we come together. I have nothing but respect for the job he has done and the career he has had. But I’m very thankful he made that decision. You can see what I’m like week to week, I’m consistent and similar with my reactions.”
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Aston Villa v Newcastle United line-ups
Aston Villa: Martinez, Young, Konsa, Mings, Moreno, Dendoncker, Ramsey, McGinn, Douglas Luiz, Buendia, Watkins
Subs: Olsen, Sinisalo, Carlos, Traore, Chambers, Duran, Digne, Revan, Patterson
Newcastle United: Pope, Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn, Gordon, Bruno Guimaraes, Willock, Murphy, Isak, Joelinton
Subs: Dubravka, Lascelles, Wilson, Ritchie, Targett, Manquillo, Anderson, Longstaff
Team news
Leander Dendoncker is a surprise in place of Leon Bailey for Aston Villa, with Bertrand Traore having to settle for a place on the bench despite scoring in his past two appearances as a substitute.
Anthony Gordon starts in place of Sean Longstaff in Newcastle’s only change, while Callum Wilson is unlikely to be pleased with a place among the substitutes, with Alexander Isak getting the nod up front.
Today’s match officials
Referee: John Brooks.
Assistants: Matthew Wilkes and Mark Scholes.
Fourth official: Graham Scott.
VAR: Simon Hooper.
Early team news
Matty Cash, Philippe Coutinho and Boubacar Kamara all remain sidelined for Aston Villa, while Leon Bailey has been ruled out of today’s game with a hamstring injury. Bertrand Traore is expected to deputise.
For Newcastle, Emil Krafth remains out with the ACL injury that almost certainly ended his season back in August, while Allan St Maximin is expeted to miss the next few weeks with a hamstring injury. Miguel Almiron may return this afternoon after five weeks out with a thigh injury.
Premier League: Aston Villa v Newcastle United
Villa Park is the setting for a what promises to be an intriguing top flight encounter between two of the division’s up-and-coming forces. In third place and looking set fair to qualify for next season’s Champions League, Newcastle go into this game on the back of five consecutive wins, that mid-season blip that took in the Carabao Cup final an increasingly diminishing spec in the rear view mirror.
Nine points behind them in sixth place, Aston Villa are also on a charge up the table, unbeaten in six and having won their past four games. Under Unai Emery, qualification for the Europa League looks eminently possible for resurgent Villa and should they win today, they could conceivably set their sights even higher.
Kick-off at Villa Park is at 12.30pm (BST) but stay tuned in the meantime for team news and build-up.
