Brilliant Newcastle defeat 10-man Aston Villa

Newcastle United beat Aston Villa’s 10 males in a feisty Boxing Day encounter at St James’ Park, with Anthony Gordon, Alexander Isak and Joelinton all scoring in a complete 3-0 dwelling win.

Gordon netted with a surprising effort simply 80 seconds into the match, earlier than in-form striker Isak and returning midfielder Joelinton put Newcastle out of sight within the second half.

Villa performed nearly all of the match with 10 males after Jhon Duran was despatched off for violent conduct halfway by way of the primary half, having aimed a pointless kick at Fabian Schar.

Newcastle’s assistant supervisor Jason Tindall was additionally proven a purple card as tensions boiled over at half-time, however the Magpies saved their cool on the pitch and will have gained by a higher margin, with Isak, Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes all having objectives accurately disallowed and Jacob Murphy hitting the crossbar.

A 3rd straight Premier League win strikes Eddie Howe’s group into fifth place with 29 factors, as Villa slip to ninth.

How the match unfolded

Newcastle scored from the match’s first assault, Gordon bending an unstoppable effort into the top-right nook after being fed by Joelinton.

Issues bought worse for Villa when Duran left his foot in on Schar within the thirty second minute, with Anthony Taylor brandishing a straight purple card and VAR confirming the referee’s resolution.

Joelinton had a strike chalked off on account of Isak carrying the ball out of play, then Emiliano Martinez made a miraculous save to disclaim Sandro Tonali simply earlier than half-time. 

Nevertheless, there was nothing Martinez might do when Newcastle went 2-0 up within the 59th minute, Isak tapping Murphy’s cross dwelling from six yards out.

Isak was offside when ending emphatically from one other Murphy cross moments later, earlier than Murphy by some means rattled the crossbar with the objective gaping.

Newcastle’s third objective was delayed when Ezri Konsa’s clearance deflected in off Guimaraes however was disallowed for handball after a VAR evaluate, however Joelinton ultimately made it 3-0 with a curling effort in stoppage time. 

Targets galore for Magpies

Talking after final Saturday’s 4-0 dismantling of Ipswich City, which got here one week after Leicester Metropolis have been trounced by the identical scoreline, Howe mentioned Newcastle’s attackers have been again to their finest after enduring a troublesome begin to the season.

Gordon, who ought to arguably have had a few objectives at Portman Street final outing, wasted no time in getting on the scoresheet right here, giving Martinez no probability with an exquisite curling effort from the left nook of the field.

The match grew to become stretched from there, with Lucas Digne and Schar working the goalkeepers with sturdy free-kick efforts, however when Duran’s second of insanity gave Newcastle a numerical benefit, they made it rely.

Isak and Murphy mixed brilliantly to place Ipswich to the sword final outing, and their newest link-up means Isak has scored in 5 straight Premier League matches (seven objectives in whole), with Murphy helping 4 in his final 4.

Solely a marginal offside name denied Isak his brace as he blasted into an unguarded internet following fantastic footwork from Murphy. The in-form winger solely had himself in charge, although, when he crashed towards the crossbar with Martinez grounded mere moments later.

However this Newcastle group now seems filled with objectives, and Joelinton – reinstated by Howe after serving a one-match suspension – capped one other rampant attacking show by bending dwelling the ultimate objective one minute into stoppage time.

Having scored 11 objectives with out reply of their final three league matches, Newcastle are ending 2024 on a excessive. They end the 12 months with a visit to Outdated Trafford subsequent Monday, going through Manchester United in a blockbuster fixture. 

Duran will get unwelcome Christmas card

Duran lastly appeared to have established himself as an everyday starter for Villa, scoring 12 objectives in all competitions this season – seven of them within the league – to displace Ollie Watkins up entrance.

Certainly, Thursday’s match was the fourth in a row through which Villa left Watkins out of their beginning line-up within the Premier League, the primary time that has occurred since he arrived from Brentford again in 2020.

Nevertheless, Duran – who typically makes use of his physicality and aggression to unsettle opponents – was on the improper facet of the road at St James’ Park, receiving a belated (and undesirable) Christmas card.

Duran appeared tightly strung from the outset. The striker was displeased with Digne when the Frenchman refused to let him take a Twenty first-minute free-kick, and his frustrations bought the higher of him quickly after.

The Colombian despatched Schar tumbling as he battled to achieve a by way of ball, and although the moist turf might need been in charge as he slipped and despatched his studs raking down his opponent’s again, there was then a transparent kicking movement from Duran because the pair landed, giving referee Taylor no alternative however to dismiss him.

Villa all the time confronted an uphill job from there, although they virtually compelled a nervy end when Pau Torres headed simply over at 2-0 down, seconds after Murphy had practically put by way of his personal internet.

Issues don’t get a lot simpler for Unai Emery’s males on 30 December, as they face one other top-ten facet – Brighton and Hove Albion – of their remaining match earlier than the flip of the 12 months.

Membership experiences

Newcastle report | Aston Villa report

What the managers mentioned

Eddie Howe: “Sure, it was 11 v 10 however the recreation was by no means carried out at 1-0 and we confirmed good traits, we have been adapting with the ball and managed the scenario very effectively. I am delighted with the win. We have been by no means snug till the second objective and I’ve to enrich the gamers and the way effectively they’re taking part in, it’s a good set of outcomes and performances. We appeared like we might rating at any second, the attacking gamers have their confidence again which is nice to see and we glance in an important place. I like Alexander Isak, he has unbelievable high quality. I would not swap him for anybody.”

Unai Emery: “We began the primary half-hour conceding one objective. We made a mistake conceding it. And, after all, right here, to begin dropping is troublesome, however we reacted very effectively. The primary half-hour, we have been kind of feeling snug and feeling confidence to proceed in our gameplan and attempt to get one thing. Circumstances occurred within the match which have been key for the consequence. The purple card kind of kills the sport, it modifications it utterly.”

Subsequent PL fixtures

Match info

Newcastle have gained three consecutive Premier League matches for the primary time since September 2023, successful three matches in a row within the competitors by 3+ objectives for the very first time.

Aston Villa have misplaced 5 successive away league matches for the primary time since February 2017, final doing so within the Championship beneath Steve Bruce.

With Gordon’s objective right now towards Aston Villa and Isak’s strike at Ipswich final weekend, Newcastle have scored contained in the opening two minutes in back-to-back Premier League matches for the primary time.

Watkins hasn’t been named within the Villa beginning XI in 4 consecutive league matches for the very first time since becoming a member of the membership in 2020; in the meantime Duran has made extra Premier League begins this December than in the remainder of his Aston Villa profession mixed (three between February 2023 and November 2024).