Newcastle are at home to celebrate as they take on Aston Villa in what is set to be an exciting match on Boxing Day in the Premier League.
The Magpies remain a tough force at St. Paul's Stadium. James' Park and head into Thursday's game with the wind in their sails. Eddie Howe's side have scored 16 goals in their previous five matches and their December surge means they sit eighth in the table at Christmas. Carabao Cup semi-final with Arsenal It also signals in the new year.
Aston Villa followed in Newcastle's footsteps by enjoying a return to the Champions League after finishing fourth last season. Unai Emery's side have a tough job to do if they are to repeat their 2023/24 form, but the 2-1 win made it more complicated. “Manchester City”Saturday's misery means they reach sixth in the table.
Surprise package Nottingham Forest are just three points better than the Villans in fourth place, but Newcastle will see off their Boxing Day rivals with another win on Tyneside.
here 90 minutes Evidence of this is captivating Premier League duel.
Newcastle vs Aston Villa H2H record (last five matches)
Current form (all competitions)
|
Newcastle |
Aston Villa |
|---|---|
|
Ipswich 0-4 Newcastle – 12/21/24 |
Aston Villa 2-1 Manchester City – 12/21/24 |
|
Newcastle 3-1 Brentford – 12/18/24 |
Nottingham Forest 2-1 Aston Villa – 12/14/24 |
|
Newcastle 4-0 Leicester – 12/14/24 |
RB Leipzig 2-3 Aston Villa – 12/10/24 |
|
Brentford 4-2 Newcastle – 12/07/24 |
Aston Villa 1-0 Southampton – 12/07/24 |
|
Newcastle 3-3 Liverpool – 12/04/24 |
Aston Villa 3-1 Brentford – 12/04/24 |
|
nation |
TV Channel/Live Broadcast |
|---|---|
|
UK |
Amazon Prime Video |
|
US |
fuboTV, nbcsports.com, NBC Sports App, UNIVERSO NOW, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, USA Network, UNIVERSO |
|
Canada |
fuboTV Canada, Fubo Sports Network 3 Canada |
Sven Botman is on the road back from a torn anterior cruciate ligament after enjoying a recuperating spell with the Under-21s, but the centre-back is not expected to make a full return until the New Year.
Jamaal Lascelles is also recovering from a similar injury, but the Englishman has not gotten far in his rehabilitation.
Joelinton and Nick Pope are both doubts after missing Saturday's win at Portman Road, while Callum Wilson and Emil Krafth remain sidelined with hamstring and collarbone injuries.
Howe should retain a front three that has been firing on all cylinders over the past month. Anthony Gordon has been a consistent presence down the right flank, Alexander Isak scored a hat-trick at the weekend, while Jacob Murphy has suddenly found his scoring boots after a slow start to the season.
Newcastle's expected lineup against Aston Villa (4-4-1-1): the Pope; Livramento, Char, Byrne, Hall; Guimarães, Tonali, Wheelock; Murphy, Isaac, Gordon.
The visitors' injury list is much shorter than Newcastle's, with Jacob Murphy the only worry heading into Boxing Day. The Villa midfielder is suffering from a hamstring injury and is unlikely to return to Tyneside.
Emery could opt for a similar starting XI after Saturday's 2-1 win over the champions. Villa coach Boubacar Kamara and Amadou Onana have been used as a steel pivot to free up Youri Tielemans with the trick working against the Citizens.
John Doran deserves to retain his place at the top after scoring a goal amid an excellent all-round performance at the weekend.
Aston Villa expected lineup against Newcastle (4-3-3): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Kamara, Onana, Tielemans; McGinn, Doran, Rogers.
It may be a 3pm kick-off, but the match will not be subject to a blackout in the UK with Amazon Prime broadcasting all Boxing Day outings.
Newcastle are always very keen on the big occasions at St James' Park, and they face a Villa side that found their best at the weekend. They performed admirably against the champions, but performing at this level in this environment is a whole other challenge.
The purring Magpies' attack will flinch against Villa's aggressive backline, but this contest will be won or lost in the middle of the park. These engine rooms have excellent balance and have been a key factor in their teams' recent successes.
All three results are on the table here, but we'll give the edge to the in-form hosts on Tyneside.