Aston Villa vs Newcastle United: Preview and Predictions

Tuesday’s Premier League clash at Villa Park features a face-off between high-flying Aston Villa and European hopefuls Newcastle United, both eager to bounce back with a victory.

Having suffered a 5-1 defeat in the previous fixture in August, Unai Emery’s Aston Villa is seeking retribution against Newcastle United and aiming to maintain their push for a top-four finish.

Aston Villa has experienced a somewhat challenging period after a strong start to the season, marked by a recent goalless draw with Chelsea in the FA Cup and a previous 0-0 draw against Everton in the Premier League.

Despite occasional setbacks, the team remains competitive, with their only notable dip being the Boxing Day loss to Manchester United.

Newcastle, on the other hand, secured a 2-0 victory over Fulham in the FA Cup, providing a welcome boost after previous successes against Sunderland and a close encounter with Manchester City.

Currently sitting 14 points outside the top 4 in the Premier League, head coach Eddie Howe hopes the cup win will ignite a positive run in the league.

In terms of team news, Aston Villa is dealing with injuries to Emiliano Buendia, Tyrone Mings, Pau Torres, Robin Olsen, and Jacob Ramsey.

In contrast, Newcastle is anticipating potential returns from Jacob Murphy, Harvey Barnes, and Joe Willock, with players like Sandro Tonali, Nick Pope, Elliot Anderson, Matt Targett, and Joelinton unavailable.

Probable Lineups:

• Aston Villa (4-4-2): Martinez; Cash, Lenglet, Konsa, Moreno; Tielemans, Luiz, Kamara, McGinn; Bailey, Watkins
• Newcastle United (4-3-3): Dubravka; Trippier, Schar, Botman, Livramento; Longstaff, Guimaraes, Miley; Murphy, Isak, Gordon

Key Stats:

• Newcastle United has faced five successive away defeats in the Premier League, holding the second-worst record on the road with five points from 10 away games.
• Aston Villa has an unbeaten streak in their last 11 home matches.
• The last away victory for Newcastle against Aston Villa was in 2013.

Player to Watch:

• Alexander Isak: In the absence of Callum Wilson, Isak is likely to lead Newcastle’s attack. He has been in good form, scoring four goals in his last five appearances.

Prediction: Despite the point gap and league standings, both teams seem evenly matched. The Hard Tackle predicts a narrow victory for Newcastle United with a scoreline of Aston Villa 1-2 Newcastle United.

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