Aston Villa and Newcastle United go head-to-head in a mouth-watering Premier League clash on Saturday evening that could prove decisive in the race for Champions League qualification.
Villa Park is the venue for this showdown, which will be televised live on Sky Sports Premier League at 5:30pm local time.
Unai Emery’s side have hit top form at the perfect time, winning nine of their last 10 matches in all competitions. They defeated PSG 3-2 in the Champions League on Wednesday night, but narrowly failed to progress, losing 5-4 on aggregate.
Newcastle, meanwhile, have already secured silverware with their Carabao Cup triumph last month, but Eddie Howe’s men are pushing hard for a top-five finish.
A win for either side could be a huge boost in the battle for a Champions League place next season. Newcastle are third, five points off sixth-place. Meanwhile, Villa are seventh but have the same number of points as sixth-placed Chelsea.
Leon Bailey is expected to return to contention for Villa, while Ross Barkley could be involved again after recovering from a knee injury.
Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon, Joelinton and Kieran Trippier, all of whom have recently recovered from injury, could feature for Newcastle. However, Lewis Hall, Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles remain out for the long term.
ASTON VILLA VS NEWCASTLE UNITED PREVIEW
Aston Villa come into this match on the back of nine wins out of 10 in all competitions. Their form has been outstanding. They have shown the ability to balance domestic and European duties with remarkable efficiency.
Their most recent Premier League match saw them beat Southampton 3-0. Goals from Ollie Watkins, Donyell Malen and John McGinn sealed the three points. Confidence is sky-high at Villa Park, and a second consecutive top-four finish is within reach.
Newcastle also come into this game on a high after beating Crystal Palace 5-0 in midweek. Goals from Jacob Murphy, Marc Guehi, Harvey Barnes, Fabian Schar and Alexander Isak sealed a comfortable win, further boosting their Champions League hopes.
The Magpies have been in excellent scoring form, and their attacking threat is among the most dangerous in the league. However, they have conceded 40 goals this campaign, which is high for a side towards the top of the table.
In their last Premier League meeting at Villa Park, Newcastle ran out 3-1 winners in January 2024, with Fabian Schar scoring twice and a Alex Moreno own goal making the third. Earlier this season, Newcastle beat Villa 3-0 at St James’ Park with Anthony Gordon, Isak and Joelinton scoring the goals.
ASTON VILLA VS NEWCASTLE UNITED – PREDICTIONS
Aston Villa Win
Villa have won nine of their last 10 games and look incredibly sharp under Emery. Playing at home, in front of a roaring Villa Park crowd, they’ll fancy their chances of continuing their winning run.
Draw
With both sides in good form and plenty at stake, a draw could be the most likely outcome. Villa are unbeaten in 15 at home, drawing seven, and Newcastle will be happy with a point away.
Newcastle Win
The Magpies have won five of the last six meetings against Villa and come into this game with momentum after their midweek win. Isak’s form and the return of key players give them the edge.
ASTON VILLA VS NEWCASTLE UNITED – BETTING TIPS
Newcastle United Win
Newcastle’s record against Villa is impressive, with five wins in their last six head-to-heads. Alexander Isak is also back on the goalscoring trail, netting against Palace on Wednesday. He had only scored one in six before then.
Both Teams To Score
Villa have scored in each of their last 15 matches in all competitions, and Newcastle have scored in every game this April. Neither defence is watertight, so expect goals at both ends.
Alexander Isak to Score Anytime
Only Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland have scored more Premier League goals than Isak this season. He has also scored three times in his last three appearances against Aston Villa – he’s a strong pick to get on the scoresheet.
HEAD-TO-HEAD AND KEY STATS
Aston Villa and Newcastle United have faced each other 56 times in the Premier League, with Newcastle winning 23 of those encounters. Villa have won 16, while 17 matches have ended in a draw.
Newcastle have won five of the last six meetings between the two sides.
Recent Head-to-Head Results:
- 26/12/24 – Newcastle 3-0 Aston Villa – Premier League
- 30/01/24 – Aston Villa 1-3 Newcastle – Premier League
- 12/08/23 – Newcastle 5-1 Aston Villa – Premier League
- 15/04/23 – Aston Villa 3-0 Newcastle – Premier League
- 29/10/22 – Newcastle 4-0 Aston Villa – Premier League
Aston Villa have won nine of their last 10 matches in all competitions.
Newcastle have won eight of their last 10 matches in all competitions.
Newcastle have scored at least two goals in each of their last five games.
Alexander Isak has scored 21 Premier League goals this season.
Villa are unbeaten in their last 15 home games across all competitions (W8, D7).
Villa have kept just six clean sheets in their last 37 games at Villa Park.
