On the back of a thumping win in Europe, Aston Villa go in search of just a second Premier League win of the season against an inconsistent Newcastle.
Match News and Current Form
The mood around Newcastle perhaps doesn’t reflect their perfectly balanced record in the Premier League (W2, D2, L2), as those two defeats have come in their last three outings and by heavy 4-1 scorelines away at Leeds and most recently Coventry. Boss Matthias Jaissle needs to find a solution to his side’s defensive struggles as the Magpies have only twice previously conceded more than the 13 goals they’ve let in at this stage of a Premier League campaign. Those issues predate his tenure with no side starting the round having conceded more Premier League goals in 2026 (44), while only Tottenham have lost more games (13) than Newcastle’s 12 in that time.
Aston Villa have endured a rather miserable start to the Premier League season (W1, D2, L3), but perhaps a 6-0 thrashing of Fenerbahçe in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday - their biggest-ever victory in major European competition - can help kickstart their domestic campaign. It also marked their biggest win in any competition under Unai Emery, who will bring up a century of Premier League victories with his next success. An unbeaten record on the road since the opening weekend (W3, D1) should offer hope that milestone can be reached here, though Villa have struggled defensively too, with the 11 goals they’ve conceded their most after six games of a top-flight season since 1986/87 when they finished bottom!
Head-to-Head History
Newcastle have failed to win any of the last three Premier League H2Hs (D1, L2), and having been beaten 2-0 in last season’s corresponding fixture, they could lose successive home league games against Villa for the first time since 1957/58 here.
Hot Stats and Streaks
Newcastle’s current 12-game run without a home clean sheet is their longest in the Premier League since 1999 (13).
Newcastle’s last eight competitive home games saw their opponents on the day receive at least three yellow cards.
Villa have scored first in just one of their six league matches this term.
Four of Villa’s last five away fixtures produced over 3.5 goals.
Key Players to Watch and Missing Players
Harvey Barnes has directly contributed to a joint-career high ten Premier League goals against Villa (G6, A4), while 11 of his last 12 Newcastle goals have come on home turf. Nicolas Jackson is bidding to score in three successive Premier League games for just the second time and also bagged a brace on Wednesday.
Newcastle’s Bazoumana Touré came off injured on Monday, while Villa’s Ian Maatsen is nearing a return but Ross Barkley is doubtful.
For all the latest team news, please check the Flashscore match centre.
Betting Analysis
No ground has seen more Premier League goals since the start of the 2023/24 season than St James’ (208), which makes over 3.5 goals a tempting option.
Author: Ryan Fisher