Aston Villa and Newcastle United will look to further their respective European ambitions when they meet at Villa Park on Saturday.
The 2022/23 Premier League season will continue this weekend, as Gameweek 31 begins. The action will kick off at Villa Park, with Aston Villa welcoming Newcastle United to the Midlands. And the two teams will be eager to inch closer to realising their European dreams on Saturday afternoon.
Aston Villa seemed like one of the candidates in the relegation battle when Unai Emery replaced Steven Gerrard. But the Villans have been on a hot streak since November, steadily climbing through the standings. Emery’s men are currently on a four-game winning run, which has taken them to the sixth spot on the table. And the gamble to appoint Emery is about to reap the rewards for Villa.
On the other hand, Newcastle United bounced back from a winless month to string together a run of five wins. One of these victories came against fellow top-four contenders Manchester United. And the recent streak has helped the Magpies climb to the third spot on the Premier League table.
The reverse fixture saw Newcastle United cruise to a 4-0 win over Aston Villa, with Callum Wilson, Joelinton, and Miguel Almiron finding the back of the net. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Aston Villa
Sunny sessions. ☀️ pic.twitter.com/19iH0KzRZO
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) April 13, 2023
Unai Emery has a new injury concern hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against Newcastle United on Saturday, the Aston Villa manager will be bereft of the services of five first-team players.
Leon Bailey is the latest absentee, with the Jamaican attacker sidelined with a hamstring injury. Bailey has joined Jed Steer (Achilles), Matty Cash (calf), Boubacar Kamara (ankle), and Philippe Coutinho (thigh) in the treatment room.
Emiliano Martinez picks himself between the sticks, and Aston Villa will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him. The defensive unit should not see a change, with Ashley Young deputising for Cash again. Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings will form the central defensive partnership, with Alex Moreno taking his spot on the left flank.
John McGinn has picked up form at the right time and will look to push Villa forward at every given opportunity. Meanwhile, David Luiz will be his partner in the double pivot. And the Brazilian international will provide an additional layer of cover to the defensive unit.
Bailey’s absence will force the formation to change. And Jacob Ramsey will play a dual role, where he will embrace more defensive responsibility while adding a direct threat in the final third. Emiliano Buendia will be the creative supremo for Aston Villa, with Bertrand Traore and Ollie Watkins spearheading the attack.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Young, Konsa, Mings, Moreno; McGinn, Luiz; Traore, Buendia, Ramsey; Watkins
Newcastle United
Unlike his counterpart in the Aston Villa dugout, Eddie Howe has a mixed bag of updates on the team news front ahead of the trip to Villa Park. The Newcastle United manager will be without three first-team players on Saturday.
Allan Saint-Maximin is unavailable for the foreseeable future after sustaining a hamstring injury. But there is some good news, as Miguel Almiron should return after recovering from a thigh issue earlier than scheduled. Meanwhile, Saint-Maximin has joined Emil Krafth (knee) and Ryan Fraser (knock) on the sidelines.
There is no looking past Nick Pope in the goal. And Newcastle United will line up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of him. The backline picks itself, with Kieran Trippier and Dan Burn being the two full-backs. Meanwhile, Fabian Schar and Sven Botman will form the central defensive pairing.
Eddie Howe on Miguel Almirón:
"He's done really well. He's ahead of schedule at the moment so fingers crossed he gets through training and he could be available very soon." pic.twitter.com/H58NcNNQiq
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) April 14, 2023
Trippier will have the license to charge forward and express himself, with Burn staying back and supporting the centre-backs. And with Trippier having the creative freedom, the midfielders will embrace more defensive responsibilities.
Bruno Guimaraes, Sean Longstaff, and Joe Willock should be the three central midfielders. The trio will be multi-faceted in their approach while putting in the hard yards off the ball. Guimaraes, in particular, will be combative in the middle of the park while carrying the ball forward purposefully.
As for the offensive unit, Callum Wilson should spearhead the Newcastle attack against Aston Villa. Jacob Murphy and Joelinton will likely be the two wide attackers. So Almiron will appear off the bench, with Howe building his sharpness after a short spell on the sidelines.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Pope; Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn; Sean Longstaff, Guimaraes, Willock; Murphy, Wilson, Joelinton
Key Stats
- Aston Villa have lost their last two Premier League matches against Newcastle United. Before this run, they had been seven games unbeaten against the Magpies (W3 D4). Since their return to the Premier League in 2019, the Villans have won all three of their home games against Newcastle by the same scoreline (2-0), with five of their six goals in these matches coming before half-time.
- Since Unai Emery’s first Premier League game in charge of Aston Villa in November, only Arsenal have picked up more points (42) and earned more wins (13) in the competition than the Midlands outfit (35 points, 11 wins). The Villans have won their last four league games, last winning five in a row in the top flight in April 1998 under John Gregory.
- Newcastle United have won their last five Premier League games, three of which have been away from home. Only in October 1996 (4) and October 1994 (5) have the Magpies ever won four or more consecutive away games in the competition.
- Aston Villa have scored at least once in all 17 of their Premier League games under Unai Emery (30 goals overall). Only two managers have seen a side score in their first 18 matches of a spell in charge in the competition: Mike Walker with Norwich City in 1992 and Carlo Ancelotti with Chelsea in 2009 (both first 18).
- Alexander Isak has scored in Newcastle United’s last three Premier League away games (four goals). Only Peter Beardsley in December 1993 has ever found the back of the net in four consecutive away appearances in the competition for the Magpies.
Player to Watch
Ollie Watkins
Watkins is one of the most in-form players in the Premier League and has driven Aston Villa’s recent charge. He has scored in nine of his last 11 league appearances (9 goals). And if the Villans want to qualify for European competition, they will need the Englishman at his best.
The 27-year-old has scored in 12 different Premier League games this season overall. Only three players – Christian Benteke in 2012/13 (15), Juan Pablo Angel in 2003/04 (13), and Dwight Yorke in both 1996/97 (13) and 1995/96 (14) – have ever scored in more different games in a season in the competition for Villa. So he will have some more records in sight when he takes the field this week.
Prediction
Aston Villa 1-1 Newcastle United
The two clubs are keen on sealing European qualification this season. And Saturday’s game is a crucial step for Aston Villa and Newcastle United to get closer to achieving their objectives. While the Villans will look to go as high as possible, the Magpies are one of the favourites to clinch a top-four finish.
The hosts have scored at least once in every game under Unai Emery. On the other hand, Eddie Howe’s men are showing no signs of slowing down and have their blinkers on. But in the end, there might not be much to separate the two most in-form teams in the Premier League. The Hard Tackle predicts a 1-1 draw between Villa and Newcastle on Saturday.
