Newcastle United’s long unbeaten run at St James’ Park came to an end with a 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa, who earned their first win on Tyneside since 2005 and moved level on points with Manchester City in the Premier League table.
The Magpies, meanwhile, dropped to ninth and could still fall down one more spot depending on how the rest of the MD unfolds, leaving them with 33 points and on par with the likes of Brentford and Sunderland, both sandwiching them.
Emiliano Buendia broke the deadlock with a spectacular strike from distance midway through the first half, and Ollie Watkins sealed the result with a late diving header after Newcastle failed to clear the ball off a corner.
Despite controlling possession for much of the game and creating a few chances, Newcastle failed to convert opportunities—most notably Sandro Tonali’s early effort and a strong header from Lewis Miley, both denied by Emiliano Martinez.
The hosts also lost Joelinton to a groin injury shortly after halftime, compounding their problems in the absence of captain Bruno Guimaraes, who missed his 11th league game for the club and whose presence was clearly noticeable in midfield.
“Missed opportunities for us,” Howe said after the game. “Sandro has the chance at the start; if it goes in, it’s a different game. But it didn’t. Villa have a similar schedule to us but just executed the final bits a bit better. The second goal is a killer blow for us.”
Aston Villa’s victory was built on defensive discipline and a standout display from Martinez, who denied the Magpies an incredibly important win and who was described as “extraordinary” by manager Unai Emery.
Newcastle now face a season-defining run, starting with a Champions League trip to Paris Saint-Germain, where their hopes of progression may depend on the fitness of both Joelinton and Guimaraes.
Anything other than a loss guarantees NUFC an outright place in the knockout stages. A loss, however, would add two play-in games to their schedule.
