Aston Villa vs Newcastle Match Preview
Tournament – Premier League
Date – Wednesday, January 31, 2024
Kick-off Time – 01:45 am IST
Venue – Villa Park
Aston Villa have continued their progress under Unai Emery this season. They sit in fourth place in the Premier League standings, just five points behind leaders Liverpool.
The Villans have also reached the UEFA Europa Conference League Round of 16, having topped their group. They are also alive in the FA Cup and will face Chelsea in a fourth-round replay at Villa Park after a goalless draw at Stamford Bridge.
Aston Villa will next take on Newcastle United, who have rather gone in the reverse direction this season. The Magpies, who finished fourth in the league last season are currently 10th.
They have been eliminated from the UEFA Champions League and the EFL Cup. Newcastle have, however, reached the fifth round of the FA Cup, beating Fulham 2-0 at Craven Cottage.
Eddie Howe’s side are desperately looking for points in the Premier League but it will likely be tough against Aston Villa at Villa Park.
Also Read: Liverpool vs Chelsea Preview and Prediction
Team News
Bertrand Traore, Emiliano Buendia, Lucas Digne, and Tyrone Mings are all out injured for Aston Villa.
Meanwhile, Newcastle are without Harvey Barnes, Nick Pope, Matt Targett, Joe Willock, and Joelington. Callum Wilson and Elliott Anderson could potentially make their comeback in the squad against Villa.
Possible Lineups
Aston Villa:
Goalkeeper: Emi Martinez
Defenders: Matty Cash, Diego Carlos, Clement Lenglet, Alex Moreno
Midfielders: John McGinn, Douglas Luiz, Boubacar Kamara
Attackers: Moussa Diaby, Ollie Watkins, Leon Bailey
Newcastle:
Goalkeeper: Martin Duravka
Defenders: Kieran Trippier, Fabian Schar, Sven Botman, Dan Burn
Midfielders: Sean Longstaff, Bruno Guimaraes, Lewis Miley
Attackers: Jacob Murphy, Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon
Head-to-Head
Aston Villa and Newcastle have faced off 24 times so far, with the Magpies winning 10 times. Nine of their clashes have ended in a draw while Villa have won five times.
Newcastle have won three of their previous five clashes.
Last five results:
Newcastle 5-1 Aston Villa – Premier League – August 12, 2023
Newcastle 3-3 Aston Villa – Premier League – July 24, 2023
Aston Villa 3-0 Newcastle – Premier League – April 15, 2022
Newcastle 4-0 Aston Villa – Premier League – October 29, 2022
Newcastle 1-0 Aston Villa – Premier League – February 13, 2022
Also Read: Wolves vs Manchester United Preview and Prediction
Prediction
Aston Villa have lost just once in their last 15 games across competitions. They have are unbeaten in their last four games. However, they have played out two goalless draws against Everton and Chelsea in their previous two matches.
Newcastle, meanwhile, have won twice in their last seven games across competitions, with the two wins coming in the FA Cup. They have lost their last four Premier League games.
Aston Villa are unbeaten in their 10 home games this season, winning nine of them. They are definitely the favorites going into the clash against Newcastle.
Predicted Score: Aston Villa 2-1 Newcastle
Odds (subject to change)
Aston Villa win – 2.00
Newcastle win – 3.90
Draw – 4.20
Odds source – Oddspedia.com
Players to Watch Out For
Aston Villa
Ollie Watkins will be the player to watch out for in the clash. The English striker started the season in terrific form and has registered 14 goals and 10 assists in 30 games across competitions.
However, his form has dipped massively as Watkins has scored just once in his last 10 games across competitions, which came six games ago. He will look to get back on the scoresheet against Newcastle.
Newcastle
For Newcastle, all eyes will be on Kieran Trippier. The Magpies skipper has gone through a rough patch in recent times, both offensively and defensively. He was also massively linked with a move to Bayern Munich this month but decided to stay with Newcastle.
The right-back has registered seven assists in 19 Premier League games and will hope to help Newcastle find their form in the league.
Where to Watch
India – Disney+ Hotspur website/app, Star Sports network
UK – Sky Sports
US – Peacock Premium