Aston Villa suffered a comprehensive 3-0 defeat to Newcastle Utd on Boxing Day, with Jhon Duran’s red card proving to be a pivotal moment in the encounter.
Villa fell behind within two minutes as Anthony Gordon broke the deadlock from distance, albeit he was given far too much time and space to get his shot off and curl it beyond Emiliano Martinez.
READ MORE: Important fitness boost for Villa as key man steps up return from injury
Our hopes of turning the game around suffered a major blow just after the half hour mark though as Duran received a straight red card for an apparent stamp on Fabian Schar, and although Martinez kept us in the contest just before the break with a stunning save, we were unable to find a way back.
Alexander Isak and Joelinton wrapped up the win for the hosts in the second half, as Villa will now have to regroup and look to bounce back against Brighton on Monday.
Aston Villa player ratings vs Newcastle:
Emiliano Martinez, 6 – Could do little about the opener, and produced a marvellous save before the break to keep us in it. Was left exposed by his defence and couldn’t prevent us from falling further behind in the second half.
Matty Cash, 5 – Had to walk a tightrope again after an early yellow card for getting too tight to his man and committing a foul. Ironically, he wasn’t tight enough to Gordon for his goal or there was a breakdown in our defensive communication to close him down more quickly. Did relatively well after that but the damage was already done.
Ezri Konsa, 5.5 – Villa defended relatively well with 10 men over the course of the game to limit Newcastle barring the two big moments where we conceded, but it was a tough afternoon for Konsa as we came under pressure and didn’t match the standard of discipline and focus from last time out.
Pau Torres, 5.5 – Should have done better with a big chance in the latter stages which could have helped us secure an unlikely result, but similarly to the rest of our defence, we didn’t match our level from last weekend.
Lucas Digne, 5.5 – Went close with a free-kick, but we weren’t good enough defensively and got played through too easily down our left flank in the lead up to the second Newcastle goal.
Amadou Onana, 5.5 – Woeful pass out which gifted Newcastle their third goal, but he was important prior to that as we came under pressure after going down to 10 men. He broke up play and regained possession in key areas, but it wasn’t enough to help us turn it around.
Boubacar Kamara, 5.5 – Got caught out in the build-up to the first goal, and while it was similar for Onana, we didn’t show the same level of physicality or control to impose ourselves on the game. That was made more difficult after conceding so early, and although we did recover well after that, we weren’t able to dictate or dominate in that midfield battle as effectively.
John McGinn, 5.5 – Worked tirelessly as always, but couldn’t lift us in either phase of the game to help turn things around. While our midfield was so impactful against Manchester City, we didn’t match that strength and athleticism this time round to dominate.
Youri Tielemans, 5 – Replaced at half-time given we were reduced to 10 men and Unai Emery opted to make a tactical switch to fill that void up front, and although he looked bright at times, we couldn’t play our usual way after the early blow and then Duran’s red card.
Morgan Rogers, 5.5 – Tried to make something happen with his powerful, driving runs forward, but there was no end product as we struggled to create anything clear-cut after the sending off. A difficult afternoon for him as we were simply outnumbered and outmatched.
Jhon Duran, 4 – Naturally, there is bias involved, but it’s hard to see where Duran was supposed to put his feet as he tried to avoid standing on Schar, and it didn’t look like a petulant or deliberate act. Nonetheless, he was sent off for it, and that ultimately ended our chances of launching a comeback as it was too much to overcome.
Substitutes:
Ollie Watkins, 5 – Worked hard and provided plenty of movement up top, but couldn’t produce a decisive impact to help us get back into it as he was starved of quality service.
Ross Barkley, 5.5 – Added composure and presence in midfield as we slowed down Newcastle’s momentum in a period where they were looking rampant. Important in avoiding a heavier defeat, but unable to help to turn it around.
Leon Bailey, 5 – Important minutes as he looks to get back up to speed after his stint on the sidelines through injury, but it was a limited impact.
Kosta Nedejlkovic, 5.5 – Competed and added energy on the right side, as he battled off the ball and surged forward to give us width when he could. Good to see him get minutes as it was a perfect opportunity for him to do so.
Emiliano Buendia, N/A
