A double from Ollie Watkins alongside an early strike from Jacob Ramsey meant that Aston Villa blew the race for a top-four end within the Premier League vast open with a convincing 3-0 win over Newcastle on Saturday as Unai Emery’s rejuvenated crew moved inside six factors of Champions League spots.
Ramsey ran on to Watkins’ cushioned header to provide Villa the lead with an emphatic side-footed end within the eleventh minute, after a superb cross by John McGinn.
Watkins added Villa’s second with a pointy strike on the flip from point-blank vary within the sixty fourth minute and grabbed his eleventh purpose in his final 12 matches six minutes from time with a easy end on the again put up.
“I think we are on a great run at the moment and playing good football,” Watkins stated. “There’s real togetherness in the team and we’re looking forward to games to come.”
Villa got here inside a whisker of taking the lead with lower than 30 seconds on the clock when Watkins hit the put up after being performed in by Ramsey.
Newcastle responded with Alexander Isak drawing a pointy save from Emiliano Martinez however that was nearly as good because it bought for Eddie Howe’s males within the first half.
Emery set Villa up in a 4-4-2 formation, with Emiliano Buendia partnering Watkins up entrance and the ploy labored completely.
Buendia’s tendency to drop deep created area for Ramsey and John McGinn to run into and helped guarantee Villa outnumbered Newcastle in midfield.
Ramsey hit the put up for Villa within the fifteenth minute when he ran on to Alex Moreno’s in the reduction of and Newcastle keeper Nick Pope needed to be fast off his line to move clear and deny the Villa midfielder late within the half.
The guests’ finest probability got here simply earlier than the hour mark when Isak drew an acrobatic one-handed save from Emiliano Martinez, however Watkins put the ball behind the online from Villa’s subsequent assault, just for the purpose to be dominated out for offside.
McGinn fired over from the sting of the field earlier than Watkins collected Moreno’s low cross and spun to seal Villa’s fifth league win in a row.
“I think it’s one of those performances that we need to analyse and move on quickly,” Howe stated. “We weren’t there today. Villa did well but by our own standard we were off it and if that’s the case you’re never going to win.”
Villa are sixth within the desk on 50 factors, three behind fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur and 6 adrift of Manchester United in fourth and Newcastle in third.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
