Newcastle United could do very little to stop Aston Villa’s onslaught as they were beaten 4-1.
Three goals in the space of 11 minutes during the second half did irreparable damage to the Magpies who were shellshocked by Aston Villa’s pace and intensity both on and off the ball.
Newcastle United midfielder Joelinton looked scared, according to Pat Nevin, the Brazilian looked a shell of himself during the defeat after picking up a booking during the first half.
Elsewhere, Newcastle fans slammed Kieran Trippier for his performance. The 34-year-old was slated for his poor corner taking, with supporters calling for Eddie Howe or assistant manager Jason Tindall to relieve him of those duties.
It is a day to forget for the Magpies, and hopefully not one that will have too much of an impact on their pursuit of Champions League football next season.
Newcastle legend Alan Shearer was doing punditry work for the game, but he still made his feelings clear about the result on social media.
Alan Shearer makes honest Newcastle United admission after Aston Villa loss
Newcastle’s record goalscorer has been very complimentary of the Magpies in recent weeks. Shearer praised Jacob Murphy after his brilliant performance in Newcastle’s win against Crystal Palace in midweek, but the 30-year-old was a ghost at Villa Park.
There was very little to shout about on Saturday evening, with Newcastle going down with a whimper. Still, Nick Pope was defended by Shay Given for his efforts between the sticks for the Magpies.
After three games in the space of a week, fatigue was bound to set in. That seems to have been the case for Newcastle who were struggling to keep up with Villa’s pace after the hour mark.
Post-match, Shearer took to social media to make his feelings known about how Newcastle played.
“Well done Villa. Much the better team today. Scored 4 and should have been a lot more. Bad day at the office for the Toon.” Shearer said.
The result keeps Newcastle third, but it means they failed to move within a point of Arsenal and further ahead of Nottingham Forest. Newcastle are back in action at St James’ Park on Saturday, 26th April against Ipswich Town in a game that fans will see as a must-win to keep their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League high.
- READ MORE – Ollie Watkins makes brutal claim about one Newcastle United player after Aston Villa’s 4-1 win
Alan Shearer praises one Newcastle United ace despite loss
It was a tough day in the office for Newcastle, who must now pick up the pieces upon their return to Tyneside.
Despite the defeat, Shearer still had nice things to say about one Newcastle star who has been sensational over the last few games. Harvey Barnes could not work as much magic as he has in the previous few games, but he still bagged an assist for Newcastle’s only goal of the game with a brilliant cross.
Speaking to Premier League Productions about Fabian Schar’s equaliser at half-time, Shearer said: “What they do really well is keep the ball alive. It’s a punt into the middle from the set-piece. Harvey Barnes does exceptionally well, there’s no point in messing around, the two big boys are up there, get it back in and that’s exactly what he does. It’s a really good header.”
Schar himself had a game full of ups and downs, Ollie Watkins’ goal deflected off him past Pope with less than a minute played. The 34-year-old was also lucky not to be sent off when he fouled Watkins just a couple of minutes before his goal.
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