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Newcastle United could determine Aston Villa’s fate tomorrow

By Durim Halimi

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - JUNE 21: Matt Ritchie of Newcastle celebrates scoring the third goal with team-mates during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Sheffield United at St. James Park on June 21, 2020 in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom. (Photo by Ian Horrocks/Getty Images)
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - JUNE 21: Matt Ritchie of Newcastle celebrates scoring the third goal with team-mates during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Sheffield United at St. James Park on June 21, 2020 in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom. (Photo by Ian Horrocks/Getty Images) /
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Newcastle United are looking ahead to their next game when they host Aston Villa at St. James’ Park tomorrow.

Project Restart is underway and Newcastle United are off to a flying start. The Magpies stunned Sheffield United with a 3-0 victory at St. James’ Park on Sunday, and that performance will serve as a major boost of confidence for Steve Bruce’s men.

Goals from Allan Saint-Maximin, Matt Ritchie and Joelinton sealed the deal for Newcastle United, but can the team build on that success tomorrow? Aston Villa come to town with their backs pressed against the wall due to their last victory being on January 21st.

The Villans were fortunate to salvage a point in a 0-0 draw against Sheffield United last week, and they were defeated 2-1 by Chelsea on Sunday. As a result, Dean Smith’s side is still 19th in the table with 26 points from 30 games.

On the plus side, Aston Villa are only one win away from temporarily escaping the bottom three, but the bad news is that six of their last eight opponents consist of Wolves, Liverpool, Manchester United, Crystal Palace, Everton and Arsenal. That being said, Aston Villa have tomorrow’s battle against Newcastle United circled multiple times as a must-win game.

Aston Villa defeated Newcastle United 2-0 at Villa Park earlier this season, but the Magpies are not the same team. Bruce has grown more comfortable with the idea of setting his team up in a 4-2-3-1 shape and this decision has had a major impact on the Toon.

There is no doubt that Newcastle United will start their main players in the final third, such as Miguel Almiron and Allan Saint-Maximin. Joelinton will most likely get the nod again to see if he can score in back-to-back games, but it is not clear whether or not Bruce will make multiple changes in midfield and defense for the sake of fatigue and avoiding injuries.

Aston Villa have rotated their players a bit in both games, but Smith knows his three best players – Jack Grealish, John McGinn and Tyronne Mings – need to perform at an elite level in order to get a result tomorrow. Desperation often leads to more urgency on the pitch, but Newcastle United will be ready to match that intensity and take the game to their visitors as we saw on Sunday.

Next. Attacking football looks so good on Newcastle United. dark

In my opinion, a draw is the most likely outcome in this clash. Based on how these two teams play, one goal will not be enough for either side to claim three points. This game might not be the most attractive fixture tomorrow, but it will be interesting to watch. Three points could see Aston Villa get their head above water, and three points for Newcastle United could see them break into the top ten.