Aston Villa v Newcastle - Match preview

The odds on Villa v Newcastle having ramifications in the race for Europe would have been long when the fixture list was announced last June and even longer when the hosts spent the first two-thirds of the season in the bottom half of the table.

But here we are, with six weeks of the campaign to go and sixth welcoming third, the home side unbeaten in seven of which they’ve won six, the visitors aiming to extend a run of five straight victories. Something, as the old saying goes, has to give. Finding out what will be the fun part.

There are few arguments Villa enter the contest with more to prove. Unai Emery’s men have blown into the top half on a run of three straight wins but have not faced a team in the top half since losing 4-2 at home to Arsenal nearly two months ago. On the other hand, the table-topping Gunners are the only team to have claimed more points than Villa since Emery took charge on November 1.

That includes Newcastle, who have spent most of the season in the top four and been beaten just three times. Their recent surge of wins has put them back in the driving seat for a Champions League place yet Villa, should they pull off the win, could not themselves be completely counted out of the race. Hopes of a Europa League spot will remain alive for Emery’s men, regardless of the result.

In the middle of tomorrow’s storyline, meanwhile, is Emery himself. It really wouldn’t have taken much for the Spaniard to be standing in the opposite dugout. A deal for him to leave Villarreal and replace Steve Bruce on Tyneside had all been agreed bar the paperwork in November 2021 but when news leaked out prematurely, Emery had a change of heart and opted to remain in Spain. Eddie Howe instead got the call and has transformed the Magpies. Emery’s impact since replacing Steven Gerrard at Villa has been even more dramatic.

It might not have been how either club quite planned it, yet both can currently sit back and be pretty satisfied with how things have panned out so far.

Emery has generally been cautious when talking about Villa’s European chances and while you can’t argue with recent results, there is a sense his team will need to hit another, even higher level if they are to maintain their current place through a testing run-in which pits them against every other team in the top half bar the top two.

Leon Bailey will be assessed after picking up a hamstring injury in last weekend’s win over Nottingham Forest but with two goals in two matches, Bertrand Traore might have done enough to earn a first Premier League start of the season.

Boubacar Kamara (ankle), Matty Cash (calf) and Philippe Coutinho (hamstring) are again expected to miss out.