STAR PREVIEW Fri: Newcastle v Aston Villa

After some cracking midweek European action, domestic football in England returns with Newcastle United welcoming Aston Villa to St James’ Park in desperate need of points as the fight to stay in the Premier League really starts to heat up.

Fulham’s resurgence in form, which of course included that shock 1-0 win at Anfield last week, has seen many members of the Toon Army uncomfortably looking over their shoulder as we move into the final 10 games of the Premier League season.

Steve Bruce’s side are on a four-game winless run and have the third-worst record in the division in terms of defeats. After Sunday’s dour 0-0 draw with fellow strugglers West Bromwich Albion, the Magpies currently occupy 16th-position in the table and lie just a solitary point above the drop-zone.

Injuries to Allan Saint-Maximin, Miguel Almiron and top scorer Callum Wilson could not have come at a more critical time and, with an increasing number of supporters expressing their discontent towards the manager and stories of training ground bust-ups being leaked to the press, it is a truly worrying time for the club – both on and off the pitch.

Although there may be worse teams around them in terms of the quality of the playing squad, the atmosphere surrounding the club at the moment is by far the most toxic of any other side in the Premier League.

Newcastle United v Aston Villa
Premier League
20:00 BT Sport 1 / BT Sport Ultimate

HEAD TO HEAD RECORD (max 10 matches)
Jan 2021 PREMIER LEAGUE Aston Villa 2-0 Newcastle
Jun 2020 PREMIER LEAGUE Newcastle 1-1 Aston Villa
Nov 2019 PREMIER LEAGUE Aston Villa 2-0 Newcastle
Feb 2017 CHAMPIONSHIP Newcastle 2-0 Aston Villa
Sep 2016 CHAMPIONSHIP Aston Villa 1-1 Newcastle
May 2016 PREMIER LEAGUE Aston Villa 0-0 Newcastle
Dec 2015 PREMIER LEAGUE Newcastle 1-1 Aston Villa
Feb 2015 PREMIER LEAGUE Newcastle 1-0 Aston Villa
Aug 2014 PREMIER LEAGUE Aston Villa 0-0 Newcastle
Feb 2014 PREMIER LEAGUE Newcastle 1-0 Aston Villa

Aston Villa, on the other hand, have managed to make serious progress this season after a heroic final-day escape from relegation in their last campaign. Argentinian goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has proved to be an inspired signing from Arsenal and Jack Grealish has continued to produce plenty of eye-catching performances.

However, Grealish is still out with a leg injury and Villa’s form without him has been patchy at best; winning just one of their last five Premier League games, which included a disappointing 1-0 defeat to basement boys Sheffield United.

It, therefore, feels like Newcastle are catching Villa at a good time and this game could well be more competitive than the Villains’ comfortable 2-0 victory over the Magpies earlier in the campaign.

Goalscoring has been the main issue for Dean Smith’s side in Grealish’s absence and, with Newcastle also missing a number of key attacking players through injury, Bruce has been suffering a similar problem. Nothing about this game is screaming goals and a low-scoring affair looks like the most likely scenario. Under 2.5 goals looks like the play here.

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