Newcastle United have suffered their heaviest defeat of the campaign following a 3-0 loss against Aston Villa at Villa Park as the Magpies' winning run came to an abrupt end.
Jacob Ramsey gave the dominant hosts the lead in the 11th minute before man of the match Ollie Watkins grabbed a second-half double on an afternoon where Newcastle were repeatedly taken apart far too easily.
Here are five things we learned from the game.
READ MORE: Aston Villa vs Newcastle United highlights
Newcastle overwhelmed by Unai Emery's Villa
It was a reunion with a difference on Saturday as the two men shortlisted for the Newcastle job faced off on the touchline - nearly 18 months after doing battle during their respective interviews. Eddie Howe was understandably 'very thankful' for Unai Emery turning down Newcastle, but the Magpies boss has long proved that he belongs in the same company. Even serial winner Emery, himself, paid tribute to how Howe had built 'one of the best teams' in the Premier League on the eve of this game.
Just as Howe has transformed Newcastle's fortunes, Emery has also made quite an impact, too. Newcastle were certainly facing a very different Villa team to the one the Magpies thumped 4-0 in the reverse fixture six months earlier when interim boss Aaron Danks was in charge. You had to go back to February for the last time Villa had lost a game and, even then, that was against league leaders Arsenal. Remarkably, Emery's side had won seven of their last eight fixtures before the visit of Newcastle, keeping five clean sheets in the process.
As Callum Wilson put it: "Looks like we're going to have to put the fire out." Yet sluggish Newcastle were overwhelmed by rampant Villa, who played with a greater intensity from literally the first minute - and the visitors could not cope. It was an uncharacteristic performance from Newcastle who were shaky at the back, meek off the ball, wasteful in possession and blunt in front of goal. It said it all that Villa had more possession, three times as many shots on target and nearly three times as many corners as Newcastle suffered their heaviest loss since a 5-0 defeat at Man City last May.
Ollie Watkins runs riot as defence crumbles
Newcastle's defenders had plenty of advanced warning about Ollie Watkins. The Villa frontman is the most in-form striker in the league - no one has been directly involved in more goals in 2023 - and Newcastle simply could not live with the 27-year-old.
Newcastle may statistically have had the meanest defence in the Premier League, but you would not have known it. There were less than 30 seconds on the clock when Watkins was sent clear far too easily and the striker clipped the post when the ball looked like it was destined for the net.
If that was an early warning, well, Newcastle did not heed it as the visitors made yet another sloppy start on the road and Villa took the lead in the 11th minute. Watkins was, unsurprisingly, heavily involved as the striker rose above Kieran Trippier to get his head on John McGinn's cross at the back post to knock the ball down to the unmarked Jacob Ramsey, who lashed home.
Newcastle were rocking and Villa, like Brentford a week earlier, could easily have been 3-0 up at half-time. Pope was forced into a fine save to deny Watkins on the quarter hour mark before Ramsey struck the crossbar. Emery, dropping to his knees on the touchline, could not believe it.
Pope was called upon once again early in the second half when the goalkeeper used his legs to keep out Watkins' latest effort after the striker turned Botman inside the box. Watkins then thought he had doubled his side's advantage after the hour mark, but the goal was disallowed by VAR after the striker was offside.
However, Watkins finally scored in the 64th minute when he turned Burn inside the box this time and fired home. This time, it counted and Villa were not done yet. There were 83 minutes on the clock when John McGinn easily shrugged off former team-mate Matt Targett and Emi Buendia's pullback, somehow, made its way through to Watkins, who made no mistake from close range to make it 3-0.
No one is safe ahead of Spurs test
Newcastle quickly have to get this result and performance out of their system. Next up is a huge game against top four rivals Spurs at St James' Park.
It is important to remember that this was just Newcastle's fourth league defeat this season, following a gruelling run on the road, yet standards are so high at the club now that a defeat like this won't be tolerated. Changes are surely on the cards next week and, aside from Nick Pope, no one should be safe.
Eddie Howe may have opted against making any changes at half-time, but, tellingly it was not long until the Newcastle boss turned to his bench as he threw on Miguel Almiron and Callum Wilson in the 56th minute. Howe, in the process, switched to the 4-2-3-1 that helped change the game at Brentford a week earlier as Alexander Isak played just off Wilson.
Newcastle, suddenly, looked a lot more threatening, finally asking questions of Villa's defence, and some smart hold-up play from Wilson eventually created an opportunity for Isak in the 59th minute. However, Emiliano Martinez made a good save to keep out the Sweden international's effort from the edge of the area. Then, just a minute later, Almiron's effort struck the side netting.
If either of those efforts had gone in, it could have been a different game but poor defending allowed Villa to score that killer second and Newcastle did not ultimately deserve anything from this game.
A very different Anthony Gordon reaction
Given what happened last week, it was easy to forget that Anthony Gordon helped change the game when he entered the fray at half-time for Newcastle against Brentford. However, to succeed at Newcastle, Gordon is going to have to buy into the team-first mentality at the club and the 21-year-old looked like someone keen to make amends after apologising for his angry reaction to being taken off by Howe late on at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Gordon impressed in training ahead of the trip to Villa and the winger was rewarded with just his second start for the club as he came in for Sean Longstaff, who was unwell earlier in the week. Gordon certainly won't have needed any added motivation to impress as the away end sang his name during the warm-up.
Although this proved a fruitless outing, Gordon's reaction when he came off this time was much better as the winger sprinted off the field to conserve time and shook Howe's hand.
Matt Targett gets quite the 'welcome'
Matt Targett has waited patiently for an opportunity - only the Newcastle defender probably did not imagine it would come when his side were 2-0 down against his former club. Having previously come on late on against Man City and West Ham, Targett was introduced for the exposed Dan Burn after the hour mark.
There was not exactly a warm welcome awaiting Targett, though, even if this was a former players' player of the season winner who was the only outfielder to start all 38 Premier League games for Villa just a couple of seasons ago. In fact, Targett only left Villa because the club brought in Lucas Digne from Everton. However, Targett was jeered by a section of Villa fans when he came on and had every touch booed.
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