Preview: Newcastle United vs. Aston Villa - prediction, team news, lineups

Separated by 2 points and 2 places successful the Premier League table, Newcastle United and Aston Villa volition some purpose to boost their top-four ambitions erstwhile they clash connected Boxing Day.

The Magpies are backmost astatine St James' Park pursuing a palmy travel to Ipswich, portion Villa overturned ailing champions Manchester City past clip out, keeping them conscionable supra their hosts successful the standings.

Match preview

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After a tally of 2 wins from 11 Premier League matches, Newcastle person present won some of their past 2 by the aforesaid 4-0 scoreline - against Leicester City and Ipswich Town - to re-establish themselves wrong the apical fractional of the table.

While the prime of their caller opponents whitethorn beryllium questionable, Eddie Howe's squad ruthlessly dispatched Leicester connected location turf, earlier beating Brentford successful the EFL Cup quarter-finals and past sweeping past Ipswich.

Alexander Isak opened the scoring aft conscionable 30 seconds astatine Portman Road, earlier further goals from the Swedish striker and in-form winger Jacob Murphy gave the visitors a steadfast three-goal pb earlier fractional time.

Isak went connected to implicit his hat-trick, helping the Magpies ascend to eighth spot - conscionable 1 constituent down Man City and 2 adrift of Aston Villa.

History seems to suggest they should prevail, but Newcastle person besides mislaid their past 3 Boxing Day fixtures astatine St James' Park, astir precocious suffering a 3-1 nonaccomplishment to Nottingham Forest during past year's festive period.

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Villa volition caput for Tyneside pursuing defeats successful some meetings past season: they were thumped 5-1 successful Newcastle connected the archetypal time of an yet palmy 2023-24 run that saw Unai Emery's men travel their hosts' illustration by securing Champions League qualification.

Enduring a dismal tally of results connected the road, they present caput northbound with immoderate trepidation, having posted losses successful each of their past 4 Premier League distant games - arsenic galore arsenic passim the erstwhile 17.

The astir caller was astatine the City Ground, wherever the Villans fto 3 points gaffe done their fingers against Forest, thereby ending a three-match winning streak that included a captious European triumph implicit RB Leipzig.

They responded to that setback successful immoderate style, arsenic Jhon Duran gave them an aboriginal pb astatine location to Man City, earlier the irrepressible Morgan Rogers notched the 2nd against his aged nine - a 2-1 win took them supra crisis-hit City into sixth place.

After travelling to Newcastle, the Birmingham nine volition big 2 top-flight matches and an FA Cup necktie astatine Villa Park, truthful Emery is present keen to halt his team's losing streak distant from location and laic the close foundations for 2025.

However, Villa person mislaid their archetypal post-Christmas fixture for each of the past 3 seasons - conceding 3 goals connected each juncture - and their Boxing Day hosts are not apt to beryllium welcoming.

Newcastle United Premier League form:

Newcastle United signifier (all competitions):

Aston Villa Premier League form:

Aston Villa signifier (all competitions):

Team News

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While Newcastle volition invited Joelinton backmost from suspension, the versatile Brazilian has yet to afloat retrieve from a facial wounded that required stitches aft past week's cupful triumph against Brentford, truthful his beingness remains successful immoderate doubt.

Joe Willock should beryllium passed acceptable contempt picking up a sound astatine Ipswich, but first-choice goalkeeper Nick Pope inactive heads a lengthy lack database besides featuring Callum Wilson, Sven Botman, Jamaal Lascelles and Emil Krafth.

With Wilson sidelined, Alexander Isak again leads the line, having scored 23 Premier League goals truthful acold successful 2024 - conscionable down Erling Haaland (26) and Cole Palmer (25). Meanwhile, the lone Newcastle players with much successful 1 twelvemonth are Alan Shearer (27 successful 2002) and Andrew Cole (24 successful 1994).

In his past 3 league games, Jacob Murphy has provided 2 assists against Brentford, scored doubly versus Leicester, and past recorded a mates of extremity involvements against Ipswich, truthful helium is acceptable to articulation Anthony Gordon successful Isak's supporting cast.

Aston Villa's attacking lineup is little clear-cut, arsenic Ollie Watkins could beryllium recalled aft starting respective games connected the bench; however, Jhon Duran has already scored 4 winning goals successful the Premier League this play and besides boasts the division's champion minutes-per-goal ratio (one each 80 minutes).

Both person netted 7 top-flight goals this term, but Unai Emery has been reluctant to brace them together, alternatively preferring much beingness successful midfield, wherever Amadou Onana could again articulation Boubacar Kamara and Youri Tielemans.

To Emery's delight, the visitors person astir a afloat squad available, arsenic Leon Bailey precocious returned from his latest muscular contented and Jacob Ramsey is present backmost successful grooming - the second volition not beryllium progressive connected Thursday, though.

Newcastle United imaginable starting lineup:
Dubravka; Livramento, Schar, Burn, Hall; Tonali, Guimaraes, Willock; Murphy, Isak, Gordon

We say: Newcastle United 2-1 Aston Villa

Newcastle (16) and Aston Villa (15) travel into this festive contention having mislaid much Premier League games connected Boxing Day than immoderate different clubs successful the competition's history.

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