On a wet night on Tyneside, Newcastle failed to build on its midweek thrashing of PSV. Instead, the Magpies surrendered an opener to Emi Buendia early and never managed to pull themselves out of that hole.
The club continues to maintain that they are financially limited in their ability to acquire replacements, but this squad looks worn down and desperately in need of reinforcements.
GK – Nick Pope
Match rating: 8
It was a Herculean effort from the man between the sticks. He had absolutely no chance
of saving Buendia’s early effort. The second goal came as Newcastle was chasing the game, and Pope was hung out to dry at the back post. The deficit could have easily been three or four if not for a few spectacular saves. He was credited with six on the evening.
RB – Kieran Trippier
Match rating: 7
The offensive mastermind down the right side of the pitch for much of the match, Trippier continuously threatened with crosses into the box. He was asking the right questions of the Villa defense. Unfortunately, his offensive presence comes at a cost. Thiaw consistently had to track back to cover for the 35-year-old defender. Newcastle need Trippier to drive forward and provide service into the box, but his lack of pace puts them at risk of conceding on the counter. It’s a tough balance to strike.
CB – Malick Thiaw
Match rating: 6
As I noted above, Thiaw did a nice job tracking back to help out Trippier on several occasions. He made a number of key tackles as well, especially sliding in to deny Leon Bailey a goalscoring opportunity when the match was still 1-0. He still struggles with his footwork. His scrambling to recover can present chances to opponents, including an early one that forced a tough save from Pope. Overall, a decent performance, but definitely had room to impact the match more defensively.
CB – Sven Botman
Match rating: 6
Similar to Thiaw, Botman played fine. He should be penalized for failing to close Buendia when he scored, as the Argentine is known for his long-distance shooting. He continues to do well defensively with clearing headers, and he has enough range to allow Lewis Hall and Trippier to play aggressively upfield. Not Botman’s best match, but he was hardly the reason Newcastle lost.
LB – Lewis Hall
Match rating: 7
Hall lacked the killer instinct in the final third, but he played well in possession and fared nicely down the left side on defense. He continues to showcase his ability on and off the ball to get into dangerous areas. Saddling him with the recently ineffective Anthony Gordon limits his offensive upside. He had a couple of wayward passes on both ends of the pitch, but altogether a solid showing.
CM – Joelinton
Match rating: 5
On a day when Newcastle needed Joelinton to step up with Bruno Guimarães out due to an ankle injury, the Brazilian midfielder was underwhelming. He struggled to cope with Villa midfield numbers, giving away a couple of fouls and picking up a yellow card out of sheer frustration. He offered very little offensively as well. Eddie Howe subbed him off in the 48th minute. If Bruno can’t go against PSG, Newcastle needs more from Joelinton.
CM – Sandro Tonali
Match rating: 8
Another player who deserves credit for their effort above all else is Tonali. He truly operated as the midfield engine. He nearly scored in the opening minute with a lovely run past several defenders, but was denied by the trailing foot of Emi Martinez. The Italian international was a force defensively as well. The concern now is that Tonali looked exhausted in the late stages of the match, leading Howe to sub him off in the 86th minute.
CM – Lewis Miley
Match rating: 7
The 19-year-old academy product continues to perform like a 10-year Premier League veteran. Miley hardly put a foot wrong all match. He was consistently getting balls into the box after making runs wide down the right side, even if the accuracy was a bit spotty. Miley also nearly scored an equalizer for Newcastle just before halftime, but was robbed by an excellent save from Martinez. At this point, he has to be one of the first names on Howe’s team sheet. A big test against PSG awaits.
RW/LW – Harvey Barnes
Match rating: 6
Barnes put in a forgettable performance against Villa. He was certainly more dangerous than Gordon, but that was a low bar to clear on this occasion. He made a couple of solid runs down the right before switching over to the left for the final half hour of the match. Barnes got on the end of some decent chances, but offered basically nothing in terms of creativity. He will need to be sharper in the next match.
CF – Yoane Wissa
Match rating: 5
This was a disappointing showing for Wissa. He did not receive the best service, but also failed to put himself in the necessary positions. The best example came in the first half when Miley got on the end of a through ball and sent in a cross, but there was no one home. Wissa immediately acknowledged he should have made a run to get on the end of the pass. He came off just past the hour mark. Newcastle have a bit of a goal-scoring crisis in the middle of their team. Wissa dominated PSV, but has not scored in league play since December 30th. Woltemade hasn’t scored in any competition since December 20th. Someone needs to break through soon.
LW – Anthony Gordon
Match rating: 6
That someone could be Gordon as well, not just the guys who play centrally. The 24-year-old has two goals and one assist in Premier League play this season. Sunday was more of the same, as Gordon failed to register a shot on target and missed an excellent chance set up by Barnes. It was not the easiest shot to get off, but the net was wide open for Gordon if he had made the proper contact. Instead, he came off after 63 minutes. While far from a bad performance, it was another one that left you wanting more.
CM (sub) – Jacob Ramsey
Match rating: 6
For the first time in a while, Ramsey showed flashes of real offensive upside, moving the ball well between teammates and carrying it into dangerous areas of the pitch. The consistency still is not there, but if he can start to find any sort of form for Newcastle, it will be desperately welcomed. With the midfield very thin due to injury at the moment, the opportunities will continue to be there for Ramsey to step up.
RW (sub) – Anthony Elanga
Match rating: 5
Continuing to look like one of the worst signings of the summer, Elanga flashed his impressive speed with very little to offer beyond that. Brought on in place of Gordon, he was more sizzle than substance. To his credit, he made a nice run in transition only for Nick Woltemade to send the ball too far ahead, allowing Martinez to sweep it away easily. If Newcastle is more willing to play the long ball forward, Elanga becomes a more impactful player. Until then, he will continue to look like a misfit in Howe’s system.
CF (sub) – Nick Woltemade
Match rating: 6
After an impressive start to the season, the big man in the middle is going through a winter hibernation. He has seen his chances significantly diminish since Wissa has gotten fit, but he has struggled to make much of an impact as a substitute. Woltemade had one touch in the final third and did not register a shot on goal. He nearly sprang Elanga, as I mentioned above, but mishit the pass. The entire team struggled to create consistent and quality chances on the day. It continues a bad run for Woltemade, who needs to regain his form from the beginning of the campaign if Newcastle has any chance of finishing in a European place this season.
CM (sub) – Joe Willock
Match rating: N/A
Willock stepped in for the final 12 or so minutes of play, relieving Tonali. He took the brunt of a defensive challenge in the box, potentially preventing a third goal for Villa, but did not have much of an impact beyond that.
Manager – Eddie Howe
Match rating: 5
As easy as it would be to pile on Howe for a third straight underwhelming performance in league play, his hands are a bit tied from a selection standpoint. I think he went to the bench at the right times to shake up the team. Unfortunately, until Howe is a bit more willing to experiment with his tactics, particularly on the offensive end of the pitch, Newcastle seems destined to dominate possession with little to show for it.
