Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn has fired back at Callum Wilson's pre-match Newcastle United comments following a comprehensive win for the Villans last weekend. Speaking to the BBC's Footballer's Football Podcast last week prior to the game, the Magpies number nine said: "Looks like we're going to have to put the fire out. Someone call the fire brigade!
"We've won the last five. On form it's a good fixture, they'll have extra motivation as we beat them 4-0 at home. It's going to be a game where they want to get their own back in front of the fans. It's going to be a difficult match."
However, it was Unai Emery's Villa side that continued their impressive run of form and took a step closer to European football. A first-half strike from Jacob Ramsey and a brace from Ollie Watkins ensure the Villains of all three points, but in truth, the hosts could have been out of sight.
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Asked about Wilson’s comment post-match, McGinn told the Express and Star: “Actually, I didn’t notice that but like a lot of emergency services at the minute, the fire brigade must have been on strike.
“I said last week we need to be almost perfect to get European football. I think we would maybe need to be 100 per cent to get there (Champions League).
“As much as we are getting really excited, it is important we make sure the group does not get too carried away. As good as we feel at the moment, this game can bring you down like a ton of bricks.
“Brentford next week is a huge game for us. They are someone we have been chasing all season and now we have the opportunity to put them behind us. Once it is full-time there, we will see where we are.”
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