Eddie Howe singles out one Aston Villa player for praise

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Two of the Premier League’s form teams meet when Newcastle head to Villa Park on Saturday, and Eddie Howe is very wary of one Aston Villa player in particular.

Both sides are on great runs at the moment. Newcastle have won five in a row, while Unai Emery and Villa have won their last four.

Their recent form has lifted them up to sixth in the Premier League, with a chance of qualifying for Europe. Emery has done a brilliant job to turn Villa’s season around, and their recent surge has been inspired by one man – Ollie Watkins.

The striker is enjoying a remarkable 2023, and has scored in nine of his last 11 Premier League games.

Eddie Howe really impressed with Aston Villa

Howe has spoke to BBC Newcastle ahead of the game, and was asked about Villa’s improvement since Emery replaced Steven Gerrard as manager.

“I think he’s [Unai Emery] got a clear philosophy,” he said.

“When you watch them play they very rarely change what they do. Tactically they’re interesting. They’re going to be a tough challenge for us. We’re going to have to get certain parts of our defensive structures right of they’ll give us big problems. Credit to them for that.

“They’ve got a goalscorer in Ollie Watkins, who’s done very well this season.

“He’s scored a lot of goals, especially of late, so I think that’s a good mix. And defensively they’ve been solid.”

Watkins outperforming Newcastle’s strikers

Watkins is Villa’s top scorer this season, with 12 goals in 29 Premier League games. That puts him ahead of Newcastle’s top scorer Miguel Almiron too, as well as the Magpies’ current in-form duo Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak.

While Newcastle’s strikers are at the top of their game at the moment, we will come up against a forward who is doing even better. The 27-year-old also has five assists to his name, and Howe is very aware of the threat he poses.

While he has been brilliant this season, he does not have a great record against Newcastle. He has only scored once against the Magpies, finding the net in a 2-0 win at Villa Park back in January 2021.

He is the player that Newcastle must neutralise on Saturday afternoon, in what should be a thrilling game. Both sides are playing well and have in-form forwards who know where the back of the net is.