Newcastle United were second best as their six-game winning run came to an end against Aston Villa.
The Magpies were pegged back immediately when Ollie Watkins’ effort deflected off Fabian Schar and past Nick Pope with less than a minute on the clock.
Things nearly got worse when Watkins’ effort was blazed over just a few minutes later. Schar would redeem himself 17 minutes into the game after getting on the end of Harvey Barnes‘ brilliant cross to nod past Emiliano Martinez.
However, Aston Villa made Newcastle United pay for a lack of chances in the second half by scoring three goals in the space of 11 minutes. Alan Pardew warned Newcastle about Aston Villa ahead of the game, citing Unai Emery’s side’s impressive home record as a reason why the game would not be an easy one.
Alexander Isak struggled during the game, but Pat Nevin believes one Newcastle player looked way off it in the defeat.
Pat Nevin slams Newcastle United star Joelinton during Aston Villa loss
Joelinton bagged two assists in his last two games for the Magpies, but on Saturday evening, the Brazilian looked a shell of himself.
After Newcastle’s win against Crystal Palace in midweek, Joelinton avoided a two-game suspension by passing the Premier League’s booking threshold. However, he picked up his 10th booking of the season at Villa Park.
That booking seemed to completely change his tone in the game and made him look nothing like the strong midfield brute that Newcastle fans usually expect. Joelinton’s change was noticed by BBC Sport pundit Nevin, who was commentating on the game.
“Joelinton is having much less of an impact in the game, it is very noticeable,” Nevin said.
“He is on a yellow card so he is scared to make another challenge. There have been a few moments where he would normally stick a tackle in but he has almost jumped out of them because he does not want another yellow.”
Just 10 minutes before full-time, Joelinton gave away another foul. The Brazilian could only look on in disbelief.
Bruno Guimaraes struggled alongside Joelinton for Newcastle United
It is a day to forget for Jason Tindall, who has stepped in for Eddie Howe. Newcastle’s assistant manager had a big job on his hands coming to Villa Park, one that he was not able to complete successfully.
It was not just Joelinton who struggled, though; Bruno Guimaraes also had a poor game. The Newcastle captain seemed to lose his cool and ran the risk of being shown a second yellow card himself throughout the game.
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Not all hope is lost for the Magpies as they are still third in the Premier League table and in contention for a Champions League spot, but it is back to the drawing board for the Newcastle staff, who have been left scratching their heads wondering how it all went so wrong.
The gap to the rest of the pack has lessened, and Newcastle must now respond in their next game against Ipswich Town at St James’ Park.
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