Newcastle 0 Aston Villa 2: Unai Emery's men end two-decade long Tyneside hoodoo

The fact it was their first win at Newcastle in more than 20 years is only a minor factor in that equation.

Less than 72 hours after winning 1,600-miles away in Istanbul and only a week after one of their lowest points of the campaign, Unai Emery’s team raised their game again to beat Newcastle and put more distance between themselves and the chasing pack in the race for Champions League football.

Another stunning goal from Emi Buendia and Ollie Watkins’ eighth of the season earned Villa a first victory on Tyneside since 2005.

The home side, admittedly, were missing their captain Bruno Guimaraes and they remain winless in the 11 Premier League matches the Brazilian has been absent since he joined the club.

But the Magpies were also unbeaten in eight straight home matches - not to mention 17 against Villa.

This was Villa's eighth away match in a six-and-a-bit week period spent mainly on the road and at the end of a week which has seen them travel the thick end of 4,000 miles - and which began with a 1-0 defeat to Everton that saw skipper John McGinn added to the injury list.

It was also taking place at a venue Villa had lost on their previous three visits by an aggregate score of 12-1.

And yet they were well worth the win here, even if it did require a couple of brilliant Emi Martinez saves to prevent Newcastle scoring in the first half, the first after just 37 seconds.

Villa always carried a greater threat and - just like in Turkey - perhaps should have scored more. 

Emery will be happy enough with the two they did manage through Buendia and Watkins.

Slow starts had been a factor in Villa’s most recent two defeats on Tyneside. In both they trailed inside six minutes and it needed Martinez to prevent them going behind even earlier on this occasion. 

When the teams were announced 75 minutes before kick-off there was a sense Martinez’s understudy, Marco Bizot, was a little unfortunate not to keep his place after a fine performance in Turkey.

Yet within 40 seconds Martinez, culpable for Everton’s winner at Villa Park a week previously, began justifying the call with a big save to prevent the home side snatching an early lead.

Sandro Tonali skipped past three challenges and from just 12 yards out looked favourite to score but Villa’s keeper kept the low shot out with his legs.

Newcastle were on top but Villa carried a threat and fired an early warning of their own when Buendia spotted the chance to curl an effort toward goal, Nick Pope making the save.

The keeper then made an even better stop to deny Watkins, turning a low shot wide with his legs after Jadon Sancho’s through ball had left the striker one-on-one.

Yet there was nothing Pope could do about Buendia’s 19th minute opener. A fine passing move, which began with Morgan Rogers, led to Onana picking a pass through the lines for the latter to find Buendia, 20 yards out on the right-hand side of the box. From there he sent a vicious, dipping shot over the dive of Pope and into the far corner of the net.

It was a goal which summed up Villa’s increasing dominance of midfield, though they were left breathing a sigh of relief when Onana was able to continue after being caught on the ankle by Joelinton, an offence which earned the Newcastle man a yellow card.

Villa were continuing to look the more threatening, yet Buendia was unable to conjure the same kind of finish after another neat passing move left him with a sight at goal on the edge of the box.

Newcastle had created next to nothing since Tonali’s early chance but minutes before the break Villa were indebted to Martinez again. Miley’s header from Lewis Hall’s cross looked destined for the top corner only for the keeper to push it away from danger diving backwards.

Villa were quickly on to the front foot in the second half and Hall needed to be in the right place to prevent Sancho being presented with a tap-in from Rogers’ cross. 

Newcastle suffered a blow when Joelinton was forced off with injury, former Villa man Jacob Ramsey replacing him off the bench.

Villa were still finding space behind the home backline but unable to take advantage and the hosts were firing a few warning shots. Harvey Barnes’ deflected effort sailed just over the bar, before the same player was unable to make sufficient contact with Kieran Trippier’s whipped cross from six yards in front of goal, Anthony Gordon skying the ball over at the far post.

Emery introduced Leon Bailey just before the hour mark and within minutes he was set free on goal by a quick free-kick, Malick Thiaw racing back to block the shot.

Villa lost Youri Tielemans to injury after he was pushed over by Miley, an incident referee Jarred Gillett strangely determined wasn’t worthy of a foul.

Lamare Bogarde replaced him off the bench, while Emery also brought on Tyrone Mings to deal with the aerial threat of Newcastle’s towering substitute Nick Woltemade.

Watkins came close to putting the game to bed when he pounced on a loose pass and fired in a shot which Pope turned over the bar. It proved only a temporary stay of execution for the hosts.

From the corner, Villa kept the ball alive, Rogers lifted a pass out to Lucas Digne and his cross found Watkins at the far post, the header going between the keeper’s legs.

Newcastle (4-3-3): Pope, Trippier, Thiaw, Botman, Hall, Miley, Tonali (Willock 84), Joelinton (Ramsey 48), Barnes, Wissa (Woltemade 62), Gordon (Elanga 62) Subs not used: Osula, Burn, Murphy, Shahar, Ramsdale (gk).

Villa (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres (Mings 74), Maatsen; Tielemans (Bogarde 74), Onana; Sancho (Bailey 59), Rogers, Buendia (Digne 74); Watkins Subs not used: Lindelof, Hemmings, Elliott, Guessand, Bizot (gk).