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
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 1-1 Newcastle, 20 mins
Guimaraes trips Asensio and Villa have a free-kick ina dangerous position - out to the left of the area.
AND WATKINS HITS THE POST! He’s scored one but he could have a hat-trick. Asensio curls the free-kick in, Watkins heads it goalwards and it cannons back off the post. So unlucky for Villa
WATCH: Schar draws Newcastle level
It was a neat finish from Schar at the back stick
Schar turns the tables
More great entertainment at Villa Park. Newcastle were battered and then suddenly they were level, Fabian Schar was encountering plenty of problems in defence and then he scored. It is six goals from centre-back for him this season.
MISS! Aston Villa 1-1 Newcastle, 20 mins
What a chance for Villa! McGinn and Maatsen combine down the left with the latter cutting the ball back to Asensio eight yards out, in the centre of the goal.
A firm strike and it’s 2-1 Villa but he somehow misses his kick and the ball ends up bobbling wide. He’s probably the man you’d want in that position but he’s made a complete mess of that
GOAL! Aston Villa 1-1 Newcastle (Fabian Schar, 18 mins)
Out of nowhere, Newcastle are level! Barnes is wide on the left, cuts back on to his right foot, curls in a stunning cross to the back post where Schar gets on the end of it and nods past Martinez.
Superb cross from a man in form. Schar makes amends for deflecting in the opening goal
Aston Villa 1-0 Newcastle, 16 mins
McGinn lines up behind Nawcastle keeper Pope for the free-kick initially, causing confusion. He runs out of the way as it’s being taken, so as to not interfere with play from an offside position and Tielemans clips a ball in to Cash which he strikes from a narrow angle and Pope tips wide.
They end up getting a couple of corners before Maatsen shoots well over the top to end the threat. This match is all Villa so far.
Aston Villa 1-0 Newcastle, 14 mins
Konsa loft a good-looking ball over the top with Watkins giving chase. The England striker is hauled tot he ground by Schar to stop him getting there and it’s an immediate yellow card for the Newcastle centre-back.
Schar was the last man but Pope was coming off his line and the VAR check deems Watkins wouldn’t have got to the ball anyway but he’s a lucky man. It was poor defending
WATCH: Ollie Watkins gives Villa the lead
Here’s how Villa took the lead. Lucky? Sure. But what a perfect start.
Aston Villa 1-0 Newcastle, 11 mins
Surprisingly physical in the early stages of this one. Trippier appears to stand on a prone Watkins - was that deliberate from the Newcastle right-back? I don’t think so.
Then Burn absolutely clatters Rogers but advantage is played before a ball into the box sees Asensio go in hard on Pope but the goalkeeper claims the ball and the Villa attacker ends up going down to the floor having felt the full force of that one.
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