Preview: Newcastle aim to add more misery for Aston Villa

Newcastle United are going to Villa Park with the intention of claiming their third straight victory in order to climb into the top ten of the Premier League table.

Premier League action has picked up again this weekend with the conclusion of the international break, but Newcastle United and Aston Villa will have to wait 24 more hours before stepping onto the pitch. The Magpies have begun turning the corner with back-to-back wins against West Ham and Bournemouth in recent weeks, while the Villans are desperate for a positive result to ameliorate the pain of losing their last three games.

Newcastle United and Aston Villa are two evenly matched sides with balanced squads that consolidate pace and aggression. Tomorrow’s game will be interesting because you have one team, Newcastle United, coming to Villa Park full of confidence, and you have the home side hoping their desperation translates to ultra-attacking football.

Eight different players, all midfielders or strikers, have scored for Aston Villa this season, with former Newcastle United target Wesley Moraes leading the pack with four goals. The Magpies’ back-line, which will be without captain Jamaal Lascelles, will need to be alert and tight in front of Martin Dubravka’s goal if they wish to stand a chance tomorrow.

The Magpies’ front three have been playing extremely well in recent weeks, but it’s time for them to fill the stat sheet with some goals. Joelinton, who only has one goal and one assist to his name this season, has a great opportunity to improve his tally seeing that Aston Villa have no choice but to start their third choice keeper. Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron must deliver some dangerous balls in the box to give the Brazilian striker a chance to get on the end of a few crosses.

Urgency shouldn’t be a problem for either side tomorrow. Aston VIlla will most likely try to come out firing at home and they are capable of scoring multiple goals. Newcastle United need to be stubborn in defense and make the most of their chances against an inexperienced, nervous keeper when they break on the counter-attack.

Predictions in the Media

Despite the Magpies’ impressive form before the international break, pundits from BBC Sport and Sky Sports think their winning streak will not be extended at Villa Park. Both pundits are expecting Aston Villa to score at least twice.

• Mark Lawrenson (BBC): Aston Villa 2-0 Newcastle United
• Charlie Nicholas (Sky Sports): Aston Villa 2-1 Newcastle United

Newcastle Toons Predictions

Something has gotten into my friend Carson lately seeing that this is the third straight week where he is predicting a victory for Newcastle United. I would not be surprised if the Magpies left Villa Park with three points in the bag, but I think Aston Villa has too much talent in midfield and their urgency will make things difficult. See our score predictions below:

• Carson Merk: Aston Villa 0-2 Newcastle United
• Durim Halimi: Aston Villa 2-2 Newcastle United