Receive Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter, delivered directly to your email at no cost, by signing up.
Subscribe to Miguel’s Delaney’s newsletter for free every week.
The Premier League continues to be a highly attractive option. Aston Villa, who have been performing well with nine wins and one draw out of their 10 home matches, were expected to easily defeat Newcastle at home. However, the team seems to have a persistent fear of playing away and is trying to avoid a fifth consecutive league loss, something they haven’t experienced in over four years.
In a swift manner, the script was dismantled by a weary Newcastle team who rightfully earned their first away league win since September. This resulted in Villa’s first home league defeat in nearly a year, specifically in the Barclays league.
This was a highly-anticipated clash between two teams expected to challenge the established dominance of the Premier League. Both are significant clubs on their own, but the immense wealth and worldwide popularity of the “Big Six” have made it nearly impossible to secure a spot at the elite level.
A significant sum of money has been invested, and invested wisely, by both teams to ensure they, particularly Villa, are ahead of their projected timeline in their efforts to compete with the top teams in the Premier League.
They have come a long, long way from their mauling at the hands of Newcastle on the opening day of the season to mount a surprise title tilt. Victory over Newcastle would have put Unai Emery’s side within two point of leaders Liverpool.
This year, Eddie Howe’s team has consistently outperformed Emery’s emerging team.
From the start at an eager Villa Park, there was just one team involved. After 20 minutes, Jacob Murphy’s impressive pass allowed Antony Gordon to break free. He maneuvered inside twice, but Emiliano Martinez was able to replicate his game-saving stop from the World Cup final and make a fantastic block.
Schar surprised Villa with a pair of goals.
There were several additional opportunities for Newcastle to score before finally getting their well-deserved first goal, a half-volley by Fabian Schar from the six-yard line. Unfortunately, Ezri Konsa and Douglas Luiz’s defense was lacking, allowing the Swiss defender to break through.
Similar to waiting for a London bus, Schar finally scored a league goal after 18 months and then quickly scored another two within four minutes. He tapped in a shot from Gordon that had been deflected and bounced off the crossbar.
Villa was not involved in the competition and required a pause to regather. Any discussions during the break did not improve the situation for the home team, as replacement player Miguel Almiron’s pass along the ground was accidentally scored by Alex Moreno, adding a third goal for the shocked Magpies just seven minutes into the second half.
Emery’s side slipped to a first home defeat of the season
The soldiers were able to recall the tactics for protecting the stronghold after that moment, as Villa started to gain momentum. With 19 minutes left, Ollie Watkins scored his 50th goal in the Premier League, making him the third Villa player to achieve this milestone and bringing his team back into the game.
The Geordies who were travelling were worried about another disastrous away match when the Villa striker scored again shortly after, but his second goal was disallowed by the linesman’s flag, denying the English player from scoring twice in the game.
Newcastle’s already depleted team suffered another injury setback in the first half when Alexander Isak, who has previously had injury issues while playing for the team, had to leave the game due to fatigue as the minutes passed. Despite Newcastle’s tendency to concede a majority of their goals after the 60-minute mark, Villa was unable to take advantage of this trend and score.
The team is in need of players as soon as possible. However, they have three games coming up against Luton, Nottingham Forest, and Bournemouth, which they have a good chance of winning. These games are spaced out over the course of a week, giving the players time to rest in between. Despite their unexpected revival, Newcastle’s season can still end on a positive note.
Source: independent.co.uk
