Aston Villa End Long Wait with Commanding Newcastle Victory
Aston Villa have finally broken their St. James' Park hoodoo, securing a memorable 2-0 Premier League victory against Newcastle United. This triumph marks their first win at the stadium in nearly 21 years, a significant milestone for the club and its travelling supporters.
Back-to-Back Success Across Competitions
Unai Emery's side displayed remarkable resilience, achieving this victory just 66 hours after a hard-fought 1-0 win against Fenerbahce in Istanbul. Despite concerns over potential fatigue and missing key players like Boubacar Kamara and captain John McGinn due to injury, Villa turned a challenging week into a six-point haul across Europe and domestic competition.
Emery praised his squad's extraordinary commitment, telling the BBC: "We spoke about this match and the difficulties some teams have with their level here. It is the highest level we can face this season and the players respond fantastic."
Martinez Delivers Stellar Goalkeeping Display
Emi Martinez returned to the starting lineup and produced a performance that silenced recent critics. The Argentina international made several crucial saves, including an early stop against Sandro Tonali that set the tone for Villa's defensive solidity.
This clean sheet represents just the second time in Newcastle's last 25 home league matches that they have failed to score. Martinez's commanding presence, combined with the returning defensive partnership of Pau Torres and Ezri Konsa, provided the foundation for this important away victory.
Buendia Continues Impressive Campaign
Emi Buendia opened the scoring with a superb long-range strike, continuing what has become his most productive season in a Villa shirt. With 11 goal contributions across all competitions already, the Argentine playmaker is delivering both quality and consistency at the highest level.
Emery expressed particular pride in Buendia's development, revealing: "I got a plan with him in pre-season, and he is doing more than I planned with him."
Abraham Anticipation Builds Among Supporters
Even before his £18 million move from Besiktas has been officially confirmed, Tammy Abraham received a warm reception from Villa's travelling fans. Chants of "Ohh Tammy Tammy" echoed around St. James' Park during the first half, demonstrating the affection supporters retain for the striker who helped guide Villa back to the Premier League in 2019.
When questioned about Abraham's potential return, Emery remained coy, stating: "Hopefully he can help us in case he joins us. You know him better than me!"
Injury Concerns Cloud Otherwise Perfect Afternoon
The only negative from Villa's perspective was another midfield injury, with Youri Tielemans forced off late in the game following an awkward fall. The Belgian midfielder now faces assessment to determine the severity of his ankle problem.
This compounds Villa's existing midfield issues, with Emery confirming that McGinn is expected to be sidelined for one to two months, while Kamara has been ruled out for the remainder of the season with a knee injury.
Despite these setbacks, Villa's performance at Newcastle demonstrates their growing resilience under Emery's leadership. The clean sheet against a team that had previously scored 13 goals in their last four home meetings with Villa represents particularly significant progress.
