Newcastle 4-0 Aston Villa - Report
Villa suffered their heaviest defeat of the season as they collapsed at Newcastle.
The visitors, managed by first-team coach Aaron Danks, were unfortunate to be trailing to Callum Wilson’s penalty at the break.
But they capitulated in the second half after Wilson took advantage of slack marking to double the lead.
Joelinton quickly added a third, with Miguel Almiron then scoring brilliantly from distance as the hosts ran riot.
Analysis
By the final whistle Villa were fortunate to only concede four with both Wilson and Jacob Murphy denied by the woodwork.
Incoming boss Unai Emery, watching from afar as he prepares to start work on Tuesday, will have been left in no doubt as to the task he faces rejuvenating a brittle unit, from whom confidence quickly seems to evaporate when the chips are down. They have now taken just one point from seven away Premier League matches this term.
Villa had headed into the match in good spirits after an excellent 4-0 win of their own over Brentford.
But they were unable to replicate that performance on Tyneside, where they have now failed to win on their last 14 visits.
Their cause was not helped by the first half loss of goalkeeper Emi Martinez to a head injury but that could not explain their nightmare second half showing. Replacement Robin Olsen could not be blamed for any of the goals.
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Danks opted to name an unchanged starting XI but Villa were given an early warning when Wilson escaped his marker to meet Trippier’s cross, the striker sending his header over the bar.
The hosts were clearly brimming with confidence and Sean Longstaff then attempted the audacious from wide on the right wing when he spotted Martinez off his line, though the effort was always heading wide.
Villa had their moments, with Emi Buendia at one point threatening to run through the home defence before a poor touch allowed goalkeeper Nick Pope to clear.
Nearly 20 minutes had passed before Martinez was forced into the first save of the match. Trippier’s pinpoint crossfield ball picked out Joelinton and the forward skipped inside Matty Cash before hitting a shot the Villa keeper was unable to hold at the first attempt.
It was while attempting to gather the loose ball the keeper took an accidental blow to the head off Tyrone Mings which would eventually see him withdrawn, yet only after playing on for several minutes after first being treated.
From the restart Villa carved out their best chance so far as Young released Bailey and he got around Fabian Schar, Dan Burn diving in to block just as Buendia was about to shoot after controlling the resulting cross.
Villa were looking threatening but Watkins found only air when he attempted to convert a Cash cross, with Buendia’s follow-up blocked.
Olsen replaced Martinez off the bench and denied Almiron one-on-one after the winger had got behind Villa’s backline to meet Trippier’s cross.
The stoppages for Martinez to receive treatment meant 10 added minutes at the end of the half and in the sixth of those the home side opened the scoring. Joe Willock cut in from the left and though Luiz cut out his first pass, the Villa man slipped when trying to clear and the ball was worked wide to Almiron, whose goalbound shot was blocked by the arm of Young. Wilson sent the spot-kick straight down the middle.
Villa could count themselves unfortunate to be trailing at the break but the manner in which they folded in the second half was alarming.
Two goals in the space of three minutes effectively ended the match as a contest, an unmarked Wilson first heading in Trippier’s cross after Villa fell asleep at a corner.
The striker was then denied his hat-trick by Olsen after a sharp counter but the rebound fell straight to Joelinton who could not miss from six yards out.
From being well in the match Villa were now facing damage limitation against a confident opponent. Almiron added the fourth midway through the half with a real piece of brilliance, curling a left-footed shot inside the far post from 25 yards out.
Wilson sent a header against the bar as the treble continued to elude him, with substitute Jacob Murphy then curling an effort off the post as Villa clung on to 4-0.
Key Moments
45+6 GOAL Callum Wilson gives Newcastle the lead from the penalty spot after Ashley Young is penalised for handball.
56 GOAL Wilson makes it 2-0, to the hosts, heading home Kieran Trippier’s cross after Villa fall asleep at a short corner.
59 GOAL Newcastle are in complete control as Joelinton converts the rebound after Olsen denies Wilson his hat-trick.
68 GOAL The day gets worse for Villa as Miguel Almiron curls home Newcastle’s fourth from distance.
Teams
Newcastle (4-3-3): Pope, Trippier, Botman (Targett 71), Schar (Lascelles 82), Burn, Longstaff, Guimaraes (Shelvey 82), Willock (Murphy 71), Almiron (Saint-Maximin 86), Wilson (Wood 86), Willock Subs not used: Manquillo, Fraser, Karius (gk).
Villa (4-2-3-1): Martinez (Olsen 35), Cash (Digne 69), Konsa, Mings, Young, Dendoncker (McGinn 69), Luiz, Watkins, Buendia (Coutinho 59), Bailey (Ramsey 59), Ings Subs not used: Sanson, Chambers, Bednarek, Archer, Olsen (gk).
