Aston Villa 2 Newcastle 0 - Report

Ings got the first capacity crowd at Villa Park in more than 18 months roaring when he sent an acrobatic scissor kick on the stroke of half-time.

Anwar El Ghazi then doubled Villa’s advantage from the penalty spot after referee David Coote consulted his pitchside monitor when Jamal Lascelles blacked Tyrone Mings’ header with his arm.

The Magpies frustration rose further when they saw a penalty of their own chalked off for offside, after Emi Martinez had brought down Callum Wilson.

Analysis

Wilson was ruled to have been inches offside when Jacob Murphy had played the ball through. At that point, with 15 minutes remaining, a goal would have set up a nervy finish for Villa. Instead, they saw the win out with few alarms.

Though much improved from their opening day defeat at Watford, Dean Smith’s team still have the look of a work in progress and their performance was far from perfect.

But it is much easier to iron out the problems after a win and there were a number of impressive individual performances from the likes of John McGinn, Jacob Ramsey and of course, Ings, who netted his second goal in as many Premier League games for his new club.

The £25million signing from Southampton lit up the afternoon with a home debut goal for the ages in front of the 41,964-strong crowd, firing home a stunning goal on the stroke of half-time.

Ings’ workrate and movement helped make up for the fact Villa were missing several other attacking weapons.

Already missing Ollie Watkins and Bertrand Traore through injury, Villa were dealt a further blow before kick-off when it emerged Leon Bailey was out with a tight hamstring.

Smith made two changes to the line-up which started the opening day defeat at Watford, Ramsey and Douglas Luiz replacing Marvelous Nakamba and Matt Targett, Ashley Young moving to left-back to cover the latter.

Villa had fallen behind after just 10 minutes at Vicarage Road and they would have conceded in half the time here but for a dreadful miss from Wilson.

Tyrone Mings got himself into a tangle as he looked to cut out Federico Fernandez’s through ball and Wilson found himself with just Emi Martinez to beat. But with time to pick his spot, he sent the finish wide of the post.

Villa were looking shaky and moments later a last-ditch intervention from Matty Cash was required to prevent Joe Willock’s low cross reaching Wilson at the far post.

In attack, the home side were struggling to find their rhythm and lacked a cutting edge around the box. John McGinn curled an effort over the bar from distance, while Cash sent a volleyed effort off target.

As half-time approached, Villa finally began to exert some sustained pressure on the visiting defence, albeit they struggled to carve out any clear-cut chances.

Then, with the last action of the half, Ings completely transformed the mood with a home debut goal for the ages. After Mings had flicked on Cash’s long-throw, Ings sent an unstoppable, acrobatic effort past Freddie Woodman and into the net.

Villa began the second half purposefully, though they were yet to test Woodman before VAR’s intervention helped them go further ahead.

There was little appeal when, after Konsa had nodded McGinn’s free-kick back across goal, Lascelles blocked Mings’ header.

Yet replays showed the ball had struck the defender’s arm and after consulting with the pitchside monitor, David Coote pointed to the spot.

Woodman could be seen talking to El Ghazi while the referee dealt with Newcastle’s protest but after an interminable wait, the Dutchman coolly sent the keeper the wrong way for his first goal of the season.

For all Newcastle’s complaints, VAR would then make a far more controversial intervention 15 minutes from time to deny the visitors a route back into the game.

Wilson beat Martinez Jacob Murphy’s through ball before being clattered by the Villa keeper. The decision looked a straightforward one and Coote pointed instantly to the spot, only for video official Jarred Gillett to rule Wilson had strayed inches offside in the build-up.

Key Moments

45+3 GOAL Danny Ings puts Villa ahead with a terrific goal on his home debut. The striker send an acrobatic scissor kick into the top corner.

62 GOAL Anwar El Ghazi doubles Villa’s lead from the penalty spot. Tyrone Mings’ header hits the arm of Jamal Lascelles and after consulting with the pitchside monitor, referee David Coote awards a spot-kick.

Teams

Villa (4-3-3): Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Young, McGinn, Luiz (Tuanzebe 88), Ramsey, Buendia (Philogene-Bidace 86), Ings (Wesley 90+1), El Ghazi Subs not used: Targett, Hourihane, Nakamba, Hause, Chukwuemeka, Steer (gk).

Newcastle (3-5-2): Woodman, Lascelles ©, Fernandez (Joelinton 78), Schar, Ritchie, Hayden (Longstaff HT), Willock (Fraser 90), Almiron, Ritchie, Saint-Maximin, Wilson Subs not used: Clark, Lewis, Hendrick, Krafth, Gayle, Gillespie (gk).