Aston Villa brought Newcastle United’s winning streak to a screeching halt with an emphatic 4-1 victory, marking their fifth consecutive Premier League win and narrowing the gap in the race for a Champions League spot.
In front of an electric crowd at Villa Park, the home side got off to a dream start, taking the lead just 33 seconds in.
Ollie Watkins’ early effort took a deflection off Fabian Schar, leaving Nick Pope stranded as the ball found the back of the net.
Watkins was inches away from a perfect first-half hat-trick, striking the woodwork twice, first with a fierce left-footed drive and later with a thunderous header.
In between those efforts, Schar made amends with a header of his own, bringing Newcastle briefly level.
Villa, however, were relentless in attack. After the break, Watkins turned provider, setting up Ian Maatsen to notch his maiden Premier League goal.
The pressure continued to mount for the visitors as Dan Burn inadvertently turned Jacob Ramsey’s driven cross into his own net, a moment that tilted the balance even further in the hosts’ favor.
Amadou Onana sealed the result with a powerful finish in the 75th minute, putting the contest well beyond Newcastle’s reach.
The win pushed Villa to sixth on the table with 57 points, equal with fifth-placed Nottingham Forest but behind on goal difference.
Newcastle, managed once again by Jason Tindall in Eddie Howe’s absence, remain third on 59 points.
Villa’s home form has been formidable, this win marked their sixth straight victory at Villa Park across all competitions, each featuring at least two goals.
It’s their most prolific run of such home results since an 11-game streak dating back to January 1990. They’ve also strung together five straight league wins.
Watkins was instrumental in the victory, stepping into the striker’s role in place of Marcus Rashford and delivering a talismanic performance.
His goal took his Premier League tally for Villa to 74, drawing him level with Gabriel Agbonlahor as the club’s top scorer in the competition.
“Since the start of last season, Watkins has both scored and assisted in eight Premier League games, with only Mohamed Salah doing so on more occasions (15).”
For Newcastle, defensive issues remain a concern. They have now shipped four or more goals in four separate league matches this season—only Ipswich Town (eight), Leicester City, and Southampton (five each) have done so more frequently.
