Newcastle United ended the year in style at St. James' Park with a 3-0 victory over Aston Villa on Boxing Day. The team of Eddie Howe showed offensive strength but also took advantage of the numerical superiority with Jhon Durán being sent off during the first half. With three consecutive Premier League wins, the Magpies climbed fifth, where they solidified their place among the best in the league.
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Gordon again shines and opens the scoring
It took Anthony Gordon just 81 seconds to make his mark: after an excellent play by Joelinton down the left, the English winger received the ball at the edge of the box and fired a perfect shot into the top corner, leaving Emiliano Martínez with no chance. That was just about the perfect start for Newcastle, who had scored in the opening two minutes in their win over Ipswich last time out.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa tried to respond. A dangerous free kick by Lucas Digne forced Martin Dúbravka into a great save. The effort was immediate but not enough, as Newcastle's defense maintained control and shut down the visitors' key plays.
Durán's red card changes the game
The game changed in an instant when Jhon Durán was sent off after 30 minutes. Colombian forward Durán committed a hard foul on Schär, leaving Villa with just ten men for the majority of the match. Referee Anthony Taylor did not have to think twice as a straight red card was promptly shown, completely destroying any rhythm Unai Emery's team had.
Even before the red card, Newcastle had shown dominance. With the numerical advantage, the Magpies intensified their attack while Villa continued to retreat. Schär nearly doubled the lead with a free kick, and Sandro Tonali came close to scoring before halftime, but Martínez made another excellent save to keep the scoreline close.
Howe’s star forward delivers again
In the second half of the game, Newcastle did not waste too much time in extending the lead. Alexander Isak added to the score in the 59th minute. A low cross came from Jacob Murphy after a fast play which had begun with Bruno Guimarães; the Swedish striker calmly finished it for his fifth straight match in the Premier League.
The fact that he scored again minutes later and was flagged offside didn't impress the already celebrating fans. However, the forward keeps proving to be an indispensable part of Howe's squad. Of him, Howe said, "I love Alexander Isak; he has unbelievable quality. I wouldn't trade him for anyone."
Joelinton wraps it in style
In injury time, Joelinton sealed an outstanding performance with a goal that will be remembered for some time. Having already created the first, the Brazilian advanced alone to the edge of the box and smashed a shot into the top corner, leaving Martínez with no chance.
The physicality and technical skill he provides has made Joelinton one of the mainstays of Newcastle's midfield. Critical in ball recovery, which creates offensive plays, and that is why Howe seems to value him a great deal.
Aston Villa away from home collapses
While Newcastle celebrated its golden run, Aston Villa found itself in trouble. The team has now lost its fifth straight away, the first time such an occurrence happened since 2017 in the Championship.
Jhon Durán - who had started more games in December than in the rest of his Villa career combined - did little with the chance that came his way and then left them short-handed due to an entirely needless red card.
Tactical control, renewed confidence
In turn, this victory allowed Newcastle to complete their first streak of three wins in succession since September 2023 in the Premier League. Impressively, they've been victorious in those wins by three or more goals, speaking a lot to how well Eddie Howe gets his best players out onto the pitch.