A game too far – Aston Villa 4 Newcastle 1 | OneFootball

Aston Villa 4 Newcastle 1 – Saturday 19 April 2025 5.30pm

A game too far, less than 72 hours after our 5-0 defeat of Crystal Palace.

In hindsight, selecting the same team for a seventh consecutive game was not the most sensible decision.

Villa won the battle of two in-form teams and United can have no complaints.

We were off our best, lacking accuracy in our passing. The spirit was willing but the flesh was weak.

First half

A nightmare start with an unlucky deflection gifting Villa the lead after Tonali, in trying to clear his lines, found Tielemens 35 yards out, who played in Watkins. His weak right foot effort found the net only because it hit Schar.

We responded immediately but Watkins nearly bagged his second in the fifth minute, smashing a left-footer off the underside of the bar with Pope beaten.

The lively start continued but we didn’t test Martinez in the opening exchanges, though we passed and moved with confidence befitting our six match winning run.

Schar conceded a free kick and a yellow card 35 yards out when he dragged down Watkins, who had replaced Rashford in the Villa starters.

Villa were looking the more dangerous team, with Cash testing Pope from an acute angle, but two quick corners came to nothing.

After 18 minutes we were level, a superb in-swinging cross from Barnes finding Schar beyond the far post. His header nutmegged the keeper and bounced over the line. One effort, one goal, 1-1.

Asensio should have put Villa ahead again a minute later. He miskicked when unmarked only six yards out, right in front of the goal.

Bruno was penalised again for an alleged foul and Watkins crashed the resultant 20 yard free kick off Pope’s right post with a powerful header. The keeper was understandably motionless.

A fluent break down our left flank saw Livramento earn a corner but Trippier played it far too near Martinez.

Villa hit straight back, winning two quick corners, both cleared by Tonali. From the second we burst clear and Tonali tested the keeper with a low swerving shot that was bending inside the far post until Martinez parried it for another corner.

On 37 minutes Rogers shot strongly from the corner of the six yard box but Pope blocked it for a corner at his near post.

Isak was barely involved, starved of service despite Barnes seeing plenty of the ball on our left.

A mazy run by Rogers earned another free kick when Joelinton was penalised for what looked a fair tackle. Villa hit it weakly straight to Pope.

Watkins tried to win a penalty but the referee was unconvinced when he fell to earth under challenge from Schar.

At half-time Villa should have been ahead and Watkins could have had a hat-trick but the teams were level.

Second half

There were no half-time changes and the game continued to ebb and flow.

Villa made nothing of their first corner but Tonali had to kick the second off the line after Konsa headed it towards the far corner. Jarred Gillett, who in the early part of the season let almost everything go, was blowing up far more frequently today. Most of the offences were given against United.

With an hour gone Villa cut through United but McGinn’s instant shot from a Rogers through ball was straight at Pope, who parried it away with his arm.

A fifth Guimaraes foul put Villa on the attack and Maatsen, overlapping on our left, smashed the ball high past Pope from close range after Watkins played him in.

Gordon immediately replaced the ineffective Murphy, with Barnes switching to the right flank.

He quickly won a corner, played low and hard across the box, as we tried to respond.

With 20 minutes to go Isak turned on a sixpence and sent Gordon away on the left. He won a corner that was overhit.

McGinn and Asensio were replaced by McGinn and Ramsey. Within a minute Villa were 3-1 up when Ramsey’s close-range shot deflected off Burn and into the net.

Bad became worse. Pope made a good save but the ball was cleared weakly and fell only to Onana, who crashed in Villa’s fourth from 20 yards.

We made three more subs but with only 15 minutes left, the writing was on the wall. It didn’t make for happy reading.

Ramsey’s curling right-footer crashed off Pope’s left post, the third time Villa had hit the woodwork.

The three goal deficit reflected Villa’s supremacy and the goal difference could have been even worse if the hosts had been luckier.

The extra 24 hours Villa had been given to recover from their previous game and the greater depth of their squad were factors in their win. So were Emery’s additions in January, with his substitutes a big influence.

There was no denying, however, that this was a chastening defeat and a severe blow to our ambitions.

Aston Villa 4 Newcastle 1 – Saturday 19 April 2025 5.30pm

Goals:

Newcastle United:

Schar 18

Villa

Watkins 1 Maatsen 64, Burn OG 73, Onana 75

Possession was Newcastle 51% Villa 49%

Total shots were Newcastle 10 Villa 23

Shots on target were Newcastle 3 Villa 9

Corners were Newcastle 7 Villa 7

Touches in the box Newcastle 36 Villa 31

Newcastle team v Aston Villa:

Pope, Trippier (Krafth 76), Schar (Targett 82), Burn, Livramento, Joelinton, Tonali, Bruno, Barnes (Willock 76), Isak (Wilson 76), Murphy (Gordon 65)