Aston Villa vs Newcastle match report: Magpies miss golden chance as draw leaves relegation fate out of their hands

Aston Villa 0 Newcastle 0

Jack Colback reacts to Newcastle's draw with Aston Villa (Getty)

Newcastle came to Villa Park hoping to climb away from Sunderland but they left staring forlornly up at their rivals, facing what is now the near-certainty of their relegation from the Premier League. While Sunderland beat Chelsea 3-2, Newcastle could only draw 0-0 at Aston Villa, a poor result for any team, a dismal one in these circumstances.

That one useless point leaves Newcastle stuck in 18th, one point behind Sunderland, with a worse goal difference and with one less game left to play. For Newcastle to stay up they must beat Tottenham Hotspur next Sunday while hoping that Sunderland take no more than one point from their last two very winnable games. If Sunderland beat Everton on Wednesday, or Watford next Sunday, or even draw both, it will all be over.

Rafael Benitez has stabilised Newcastle since taking charge, but this was a game when they needed to risk everything to win and they could not. It took until half-time for Newcastle to find anywhere near the right intensity or the right balance, and by that point they had wasted too much time, which is one thing they do not have.

Rafa Benitez instructs his side during the 0-0 draw with Aston Villa (Getty)

Newcastle did create chances, but only in the second half, after the introduction of Aleksandar Mitrovic. They became more dangerous when, with 23 minutes remaining, Benitez finally dispensed with his two holding midfielders approach and brought on Ayoze Perez. But it was not enough and it did prompt the obvious question of why Newcastle did not make these changes sooner, or even start the game like that. They had to win this match and yet for far too long they played as if they were happy to take the 0-0 and try their luck in the final stages.

It was only when the second half started, when Sunderland were still 2-1 down, that Newcastle started to attack with any gusto. Their best chance came just 46 seconds after the re-start, when Papiss Cisse failed to connect with a cross and Jack Colback smacked a close-range shot far over the bar.

Even that was the most dangerous Cisse looked all afternoon and it was only when he was withdrawn for Mitrovic, 52 minutes too late, that Newcastle had a real focal point up front. Within 10 minutes he had nearly scored, when Cheick Tiote volleyed the ball back into the box, Mitrovic stayed onside and lifted his volley over Mark Bunn and just over the bar.

With every chance Newcastle missed they grew more anxious, especially as Sunderland hauled themselves into the lead against Chelsea at home. The next chance fell to Mitrovic again, when Paul Dummett swung in a cross from the left, the big Serb rose highest at the far post but sent his header back across goal and beyond the far post.

With eight minutes to go Mitrovic won another header, meeting Vurnon Anita’s cross from the right, but he got underneath the ball and it sailed over the bar. Even in the six minutes of added time Newcastle could produce no real siege. Andros Townsend hit a 20-yard free kick straight at Mark Bunn and that was the effective end of this spell back in the top flight.

Only fleetingly in the second half did Newcastle produce anywhere near the level required to win the game. But the first half was even worse. Villa, understandably, were slow, nervous and timid. But, unfortunately, so were Newcastle. They looked like a team playing for a 0-0 against superior opposition, showing unfathomable respect to the worst team in the recent history of the Premier League.

Andros Townsend, the right winger, spent most of his time doubling up with full-back Vurnon Anita, trying to counter the limited threat from Villa debutant Kevin Toner. Georginio Wijnaldum, on the opposite side, was just as muted and Cisse was isolated up front. There was only one half-chance, and that took 34 minutes to come about: Anita crossed to the far post, Cisse volleyed softly into the ground, Mark Bunn caught comfortably.

The action at the Stadium of Light, in fact, provided just as much entertainment: the Newcastle fans cheered for Chelsea’s goals, the Aston Villa fans for Sunderland. But the home crowd, marking the last Premier League game at Villa Park for some time, were determined to say goodbye having as much fun as possible. The Holte End was awash with inflatable beach-balls, bananas and body parts, which were thrown onto the pitch for maximum fun disruption.

The atmosphere at the start of the of the afternoon was negative, with the home fans targeting the unpopular Leandro Bacuna and Joleon Lescott. As the game wore on, though, it turned into a strange mix of defiant pride and ironic celebration. One heavy rain-shower in the second half only increased the fans’ noise and by the end this felt like a genuine send-off to players who had produced their best performance in some time to hold on to the point.

Of course, this is football, and so the Villa fans could still take particular pleasure in one thing: dragging Newcastle down with them. Newcastle were relegated here in 2009, as home crowd revelled in reminding their visitors. Now, seven years on, their relegation is not quite certain, but it is near enough.

Aston Villa (5-4-1) Bunn; Hutton, Bacuna, Lescott, Clark, Toner; Westwood, Sanchez, Gana, Ayew; Sinclair (Hepburn-Murphy, 90)

Newcastle United (4-4-1-1) Darlow; Anita, Mbemba, Lascelles, Dummett; Townsend, Tiote (Perez, 67), Colback (De Jong, 90), Wijnaldum; Sissoko; Cisse (Mitrovic, 52)

Man of the Match: Aleksandar Mitrovic (Newcastle United)

Match rating: 2