Following Aston Villa’s win over Manchester City, Villans hoped the Christmas cheer would turn their fortunes around when they visited Newcastle United on Boxing Day.
The Geordies beat Villa home and away last season and have not lost to Villa in their backyard since 2005. In addition, Villa have failed to win on the road on Boxing Day since 1999 (12 attempts). The odds didn’t look great for Unai Emery’s side.
Emery stuck with the same starting eleven that beat Manchester City but it took the hosts just 90 seconds to take the lead when Anthony Gordon curled the ball into the back of the net after cutting inside on the edge of the box.
Villa’s day went from bad to worse when Jhon Durán was shown a straight red following a clash with Fabian Schär. The two collided and as the Columbian striker fell, he turned his left ankle with his right foot landing on the Newcastle defender. The referee didn’t hesitate to show him a red and despite the replays showing it was harsh, VAR backed their man in the middle. The replay also showed Schär putting his feet into Durán, showing studs as he fell but again, it was overlooked.
The decision killed the game for the visitors as the hosts took control of the game. Tempers rose at half-time with staff from both sides being shown red cards during the break.
The second half began as the first finished with Villa struggling to be a man down and Newcastle soon doubled their lead through Swedish striker Alexander Isak all but sealing the three points.
Joelinton completed the win with a goal late on following a defensive mixup by the Villa defenders.
In truth, it could have been a lot worse if it wasn’t for Emi Martinez. Newcastle deserved their win as Villa’s away day struggles this season continued.
Emery: “It’s not a clear red card, it’s a big punishment for the player. He had no intention to do it. I could accept it if the referee was watching with VAR to punish with a red card but we have to use it. The referee can take time to make the correct decision. The referees have to be intelligent. He might be thinking ‘it’s a clear red card’ but he should have gone to VAR to confirm it. The punishment is so high if it’s not clear. I’ve always agreed with VAR but use it please.”
