A stunning strike from Emi Buendia and a late goal from Ollie Watkins saw Aston Villa win 2-0, their first win at Newcastle in almost 21 years.
Buendia fired a shot into the top corner, evading the outstretched arm of Nick Pope, but Villa maintained a narrow lead throughout the game until Ollie Watkins sealed all three points with two minutes remaining when Luca Digne’s cross was met by Ollie Watkins.
With this win, Unai Emery’s side are level with Manchester City in second place on points, with Arsenal still within reach of first place.
The Magpies had been unbeaten in their last 17 home games against Villa dating back to April 2005, but once again slumped in the absence of captain Bruno Guimarães and let that record slip away.
The midfielder was in the stands, but was ruled out after sustaining an ankle injury against PSV Eindhoven. Since his arrival, Newcastle have yet to win without him in the starting XI, drawing six games and losing five.
The best chance of the game went to Luis Miley, who was tasked with filling that void, but his looping header was well saved by Emiliano Martinez, who jumped back and flicked it out of the goal.
Newcastle had other chances to get something out of this game, most notably Sandro Tonali’s early goals and Harvey Barnes’ goal from close range, but in the end they were led by Wolves, who were 20th in the game, and ended without scoring for the second straight game.
Harvey Barnes leaps and controls the ball at St James’ Park
Eddie Howe’s side have a relentless run ahead of Wednesday’s crucial Champions League game against holders Paris Saint-Germain, but they may have to go through the game without Joelinton, who limped off during the defeat.
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Emi Buendia STUNS out St James’ Park with sensational long-range attack for Aston Villa
Watkins: This is a big win in a ‘difficult’ place
Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins told Sky Sports:
“Great (result). It’s a really difficult place to come to. The atmosphere and the momentum you get from the fans. We got the game plan right.
“We didn’t play in front of them, we played behind them. They didn’t deal with it, they didn’t prepare for it.
“We had some shocking performances here, but I’m glad we were able to break our ducks. I had a much better performance individually and that helped me overall. I feel good.”
“We had a bad result against Everton, so it was great that we were able to bounce back to get the three points against Newcastle.”
Ollie Watkins stoops to score Aston Villa’s second goal.
Howe furious at Newcastle’s ‘missed chance’
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe told Sky Sports:
“We missed our chances. Sandro had a chance early on, but if it goes in it’s a different game. But it didn’t happen.
“It was a difficult game for us. There were chances and moments. Their main threat came from long shots and they scored one goal, which changed the whole game.”
“I don’t know if it was the conditions, but it was wild and windy. I can’t use that as an excuse. We had plenty of time to recover (from PSV) and it’s always a challenging season.”
“Villa have a similar schedule to us, but they played a little bit better at the end. We felt like we could get back in the game, but the second goal was the clincher for us.”
Emery: Martinez’s win was extraordinary
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery told Sky Sports.
“We lost the last game at home (Everton) but we were very consistent. We were disappointed and it took us a few days to react to get back on track.
“We played great on Thursday (Fenerbahce) and we played great today as well. We tried to defend our attitude and demands, but then they played a great game.
“We needed a goalkeeper. Emiliano Martinez was exceptional today. We dominated at times, created chances and defended. We played a complete game.”
Sandro Tonali failed to score early in Newcastle vs. Aston Villa
Konsa is England’s best defender
Sky Sports’ Lewis Jones said:
Is Ezri Konsa currently the best English centre-back in the Premier League? It’s hard to argue against that.
Newcastle away will be a fierce competition. Instead, Konsa made it look gentle. More than anything, that is a testament to top-level defense.
What stood out was not his crunching tackles or sliding blocks, but his positioning. Konsa was always where Newcastle didn’t want him to be. He read the game two to three seconds faster than the players around him.
There is now a maturity in his defense that shows he is a player who truly understands the risks. When to step out and when to hold the line. It was a performance that oozed class and intelligence.
This is not a one-time event either. Konsa’s consistency has been quietly excellent for some time now, which perhaps explains why he started six of England’s World Cup qualifiers.
Now, Konsa plays with authority, composure, and a soccer brain that elevates those around him.
If England are looking for a reliable defender as the pressure mounts at this summer’s World Cup, Konsa makes a convincing case.
