Newcastle United’s winning streak has come to an end in horrid fashion at the hands of Aston Villa after they lost 4-1 on Saturday evening.
It was a disastrous start for Newcastle United, who went behind to Ollie Watkins’ deflected opener with just 35 seconds on the clock.
The home side continued to press a rocked Magpies but Fabian Schar managed to make amends for diverting the ball into his own net by heading home the equaliser.
Both sides were very evenly matched deep into the game but it was Villa who retook the lead when Ian Maatsen blasted into the far corner.
The hosts then roared into the ascendancy as Dan Burn scored an own-goal and Amadou Onana fired into the top corner to give Newcastle an increasingly rare taste of defeat.
Here are five things we learned.
Jason Tindall and Unai Emery shake hands
There was plenty of discussion ahead of kick-off surrounding how stand-in manager Jason Tindall and Aston Villa boss Unai Emery would interact on the sidelines.
There has been hostility between the pair in the past. Tindall ‘shushed’ Emery during a match last season and claimed the Spaniard refused to shake his hand after the match.
Another fracas occurred during the fixture between the sides on Boxing Day, which saw Tindall sent off in the tunnel at half-time.
Tindall was asked about it in his pre-match press conference and said: “I’ll always offer my hand for the opposition manager.
“In this game, all you want to do is win. I’m very passionate, it’s the only thing that crosses your mind during battle. It’s frustrating at times. I’ll certainly hold my hand out to him [Emery].
“There was a lot of talk about that before the game but it was pre-planned before the game! A fan asked me before the game to wear it and I said I would if we won.”
The pair did shake hands before kick-off and everything remained cordial throughout.
Kieran Trippier weakness proves costly
Kieran Trippier has done exceptionally well to turn his form around this season. His Newcastle career looked over ahead of the January transfer window, but colossal performances in the Carabao Cup semi-final and then final gave him a new lease of life.
With Lewis Hall out, the veteran defender has ensured Newcastle haven’t really missed one of their best players. But the downside of having to rely on a 34-year-old was clear at Villa Park.
All of Villa’s joy, including the opening goal after 35 seconds, came down Newcastle’s right flank, where they were able to exploit the space Trippier had left unguarded and didn’t have the legs to get back to.
Trippier was run ragged by Watkins, Maatsen, Morgan Rogers, and Marco Assensio throughout and he was the obvious weak link in a shaken back line.
Villa’s second goal also came down Trippier’s flank, with the full-back sucked in field allowing Maatsen to race forward and fire home unimpeded.
Trippier remains a very valuable member of the squad but the creaks are showing now he’s had to play so many games in succession. A younger but equally versatile defender should be on the agenda in the summer.
Aston Villa have plenty of talent Newcastle should be interested in
Speaking of the transfer window, Newcastle would do a lot worse than having a look at the talent Aston Villa have in their squad.
Signing from direct Premier League rivals is difficult these days and comes with heavy price premiums, but if Newcastle get in the Champions League and Villa don’t, they would have some leverage.
It doesn’t look like Alexander Isak is going anywhere in the summer but the dangerous Watkins would be a fine replacement if he did, while Rogers is a livewire of flair and creativity that would go down a storm at St. James’ Park.
Assensio and Marcus Rashford have also both proven their worth on loan at Villa and their parent clubs will likely want to get rid in the summer.
It’s certainly something for Newcastle to think about as they gear up for an important transfer window.
Another assist for Harvey Barnes
It was Harvey Barnes’ superb deep cross to the back post that set up Schar’s equaliser.
That’s now seven goal contributions in Barnes’ last six games and he is firmly in his brightest run of form since signing for the club.
When Newcastle fell behind for a second time and Tindall introduced Anthony Gordon, it was Jacob Murphy who made way.
Given how good Murphy has been this season, it speaks volumes of Barnes’ performances of late. He should continue to keep his place in the side.
Where Newcastle stand in the race to qualify for the Champions League
Newcastle are still third in the Premier League table despite the stinging defeat and are still looking good in the race to qualify for the Champions League.
Their position would have obviously been a lot more commanding if they had defeated Villa, though, as they are now just a point above fourth-placed Manchester City.
Meanwhile, Villa and Forest are both just two points behind as the competition continues to get even tighter with a few fixtures remaining.
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