Aston Villa vs. Newcastle United: EPL Match Preview, Odds & Predictions

In a Premier League showdown on Saturday night, a devastated Aston Villa team must swiftly forget their painful Champions League loss when they welcome Newcastle United.

The Lions' heroic efforts against PSG on Tuesday night were in vain, but Newcastle were unstoppable in a 5-0 thrashing of Crystal Palace the next day.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

Unai Emery looked more emotional than ever as he limped down the tunnel after Aston Villa’s spirited fightback against PSG, despite falling short in a 5-4 aggregate defeat. Goals from Tielemans, McGinn, and Konsa nearly erased a two-goal deficit, but Donnarumma’s heroics denied Villa a fourth. Emery, furious at full-time, stormed off as PSG celebrated, though the Villa crowd showed their appreciation for the team's efforts.

Villa now turns their focus to the Premier League, chasing a fifth straight win to stay in the top-five race. Just one point behind Man City and boasting 18 games unbeaten, Villa also looks ahead to an FA Cup quarter-final clash with Crystal Palace.

Meanwhile, Newcastle hit Crystal Palace for five midweek, followed by a six-goal showing under assistant Jason Tindall. With goals from Isak, Murphy, Barnes, Schar, and an own goal, the Magpies remain four points behind second-place Arsenal. A title is a long shot, but Champions League hopes are alive—especially with a strong away record and a dominant recent history against Villa, including three straight Premier League wins, scoring 3+ goals in each.

Aston Villa vs. Newcastle United Team News

At the moment, no Premier League manager has the luxury that Aston Villa coach Emery has, thanks to Leon Bailey's fitness level, which was high enough to warrant a bench spot in the second leg match against PSG.

In Tuesday's game, the Spaniard aroused eyebrows by benching Marcus Rashford and not starting Ollie Watkins. However, it would be surprising if Rashford did not start this weekend, especially considering that jellied legs might force a few changes.

Marco Asensio may not be in Emery's good graces after missing two penalties against Southampton and an excellent opportunity against parent club PSG; Jacob Ramsey is also hammering on the door.

The Newcastle side is expected to remain unchanged from midweek as well. The Magpies will be without Lewis Hall (foot), Jamaal Lascelles (knee), and Sven Botman (knee).

Newcastle has a whole week between Saturday's meeting and the visit of Ipswich Town on April 26, so Tindall may not feel the need to change a winning formula this weekend, unlike Villa, who will face Manchester City next Tuesday.

This means that explosive Barnes will once again deny Anthony Gordon a goal while Murphy looks to add to his 13-goal involvement in his last 17 away Premier League games, including four goals he scored and nine assists.

Our predictions

Newcastle to win @ 2.85 on Sky247.ng

Given both teams' impressive midweek performances and their penchant for goal-laden outings, Saturday's match between Aston Villa and Newcastle promises to be entertaining.

We can almost see the Magpies prevailing as the devastated hosts suffer their first home defeat of 2025. The extent to which Villa's psychological well-being will be impacted by their elimination from the European competition is still to be determined. However, a revamped defense may prove ineffective against a rampaging onslaught.

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