Aston Villa v Newcastle LIVE: Villa deliver crushing win in battle for Champions League spots

Aston Villa 4-1 Newcastle: Ollie Watkins ran the show as Villa pulled away in the second half to give their Champions League hopes a big boost

Unai Emery would like Champions League return with Aston Villa

Aston Villa thumped top-five rivals Newcastle United 4-1 at Villa Park to keep themselves in the thick of the race for Champions League qualification.

Five days after being knocked out of Europe's top club competition by Paris St Germain in a thriller, Villa returned to Premier League action in emphatic fashion with Ollie Watkins opening the scoring inside the first minute.

Fabian Schar equalised for third-placed Newcastle with a header before half-time but Villa blazed clear after the break with Ian Maatsen restoring their lead before a Dan Burn own goal and substitute Amadou Onana's superb finish sealed the points.

Victory lifted Villa three points above Chelsea into sixth place with 57 points from 33 games, level with Nottingham Forest who play on Monday. Newcastle have 59 points, one more than fourth-placed Manchester City, in what is turning into a fierce battle to qualify for next season's Champions League. The top five will all qualify.

Relive Aston Villa vs Newcastle in the Premier League below

Aston Villa vs Newcastle LIVE: Latest Premier League updates

• Aston Villa thump Newcastle 4-1 in the Premier League
• Both teams are chasing Champions League football next season and Villa close the gap
• 75' GOAL! Onana stunningly curls into the top corner (AVL 4-1 NEW)
• 73' GOAL! Tielemans's shot spins in off Burn for an own goal (AVL 3-1 NEW)
• 65' GOAL! Maatsen finishes smartly after overlapping run past Watkins (AVL 2-1 NEW)
• 18' GOAL! Schar heads home Barnes's stunning cross (AVL 1-1 NEW)
• 1' GOAL! Watkins's shot deflects into the net for an early Villa lead (AVL 1-0 NEW)

[19 April 2025 19:05 · Luke Baker]

GOAL! Aston Villa 3-1 Newcastle (Dan Burn own goal, 73 mins)

That is surely game, set and match. Ramsey runs at his man down the left wing and puts a low ball across the box where Tielemans turns it goalwards.

It’s not a clean hit but it hits poor Dan Burn and spins into the bottom corner. Probably an own goal, although I’m sure Tielemans will try to claim it. Villa celebrate and appear to be giving their Champions League hopes a real boost

[19 April 2025 19:01 · Luke Baker]

Aston Villa 2-1 Newcastle, 71 mins

Trippier curls in a Newcastle corner but it;s too deep and Guimaraes can’t keep it int.

Villa make a double change as Amadou Onana and Jacob Ramsey enter the fray in place of John McGinn and Marco Asensio. Can they help see this game out?

[19 April 2025 18:56 · Luke Baker]

Aston Villa 2-1 Newcastle, 66 mins

Newcastle were preparing a sub before that goal and make it anyway - Anthony Gordon on for Murphy, who has been quieter than usual today.

Gordon is now needed to try and find an equaliser.

[19 April 2025 18:55 · Luke Baker]

GOAL! Aston Villa 2-1 Newcastle (Ian Maatsen, 65 mins)

Villa lead once more and it’s well-deserved. Maatsen has a diesel engine and he overlaps Watkins down the left, who slips him in.

Then it’s a first-time strike with his left foot beyond Pope for a lovely, and important, goal.

[19 April 2025 18:54 · Luke Baker]

Aston Villa 1-1 Newcastle, 64 mins

Lovely link-up between Guimaraes and Joelinton before the former feeds it to Isak on the left of his box but his shot is easily held by Martinez.

Guimaraes feels like he was caught just after he released the ball to Isak and he reacts by going in late on Tielemans himself. A booking for Bruno

[19 April 2025 18:52 · Luke Baker]

SAVE! Aston Villa 1-1 Newcastle, 62 mins

McGinn probably should do better here. He makes a great run to get half a yard of space form his defender, the ball comes through and he hits it from the edge of the box but doesn’t catch it properly. Straight at Pope, who can push it away.

Shortly after, Rogers strikes from outside the area but it’s straight at Pope again.

[19 April 2025 18:50 · Richard Jolly at Villa Park]

This is Jason Tindall's big moment

A big 30 minutes for Jason Tindall. So far everything has gone smoothly in his time in charge. He has been able to pick unchanged teams. Newcastle have won. Now this game could down to substitutions.

[19 April 2025 18:44 · Luke Baker]

OFF THE LINE! Aston Villa 1-1 Newcastle, 54 mins

Tonali is in the perfect place at the perfect time as Tielemans gets his head to a Villa corner and flicks it towards the far post where the Italian clears off the line.

It may have been going just wide but Tonali couldn’t be sure and did the right thing in clearing it.

[19 April 2025 18:41 · Luke Baker]

Aston Villa 1-1 Newcastle, 52 mins

Guimaraes tries to burrow his way between defenders but Mings is eventually strong enough to muscle him off the ball and Martinez can smother it.

It’s still an end-to-end game and Rogers slides a clever ball through for McGinn who wins a corner at the by-line.

Tielemans curls ina decent cross but the Newcastle defence does its job to clear

[19 April 2025 18:39 · Luke Baker]

Aston Villa 1-1 Newcastle, 49 mins

A more cagey start to this second half although Villa do well clear a dangerous-looking cross into their box before, at the other end, Burn reads Tielemans and covers well to head away.