The Matchday 18 Premier League clash between Newcastle and Aston Villa will take place on December 26 at St James' Park in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Newcastle vs. Aston Villa: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Referee: Anthony Taylor (England)
Matches – 15 (Premier League, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 57;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.8;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 22;
Penalties – 40%.
Predicted lineups for Newcastle vs. Aston Villa
Newcastle (4-3-3): Martin Dubravka – Lewis Hall, Valentino Livramento, Fabian Schar, Dan Burn – Joseph Willock, Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali – Anthony Gordon, Alexander Isak, Jacob Murphy.
Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Emiliano Martinez – Lucas Digne, Pau Torres, Ezri Konsa, Matty Cash – Youri Tielemans, Boubacar Kamara – Morgan Rogers, John McGinn, Amadou Onana – John Duran.
The starting lineup for each team is based on their previous match in this tournament.
Newcastle
Eddie Howe's side had not been winning by large margins in the league for a while. However, in their last two matches, they faced opponents from the lower part of the table and capitalized with maximum efficiency, thrashing Leicester and Ipswich with identical 4-0 scores. As a result, the club climbed to eighth place and is now just two points away from fifth.
Due to injuries, striker Callum Wilson and goalkeeper Nick Pope, as well as defenders Jamaal Lascelles, Emil Krafth, and Sven Botman, will miss the match.
- At least four goals have been scored in Newcastle's last four Premier League matches.
- The club has failed to win 9 of their last 13 league games (4 draws and 5 losses).
- In eight of Newcastle's last Premier League matches, one team led 1-0 at halftime.
Aston Villa
The Birmingham side defeated Manchester City 2-1 at home in the last round. This was their third victory in the last four league matches (with one loss to Nottingham). Notably, all wins came in home games. Ahead of the upcoming round, the club is in sixth place, just three points away from the Champions League zone.
Only midfielder Jacob Ramsey is in the club's infirmary.
- Both teams scored in 7 of Aston Villa's last 10 Premier League games.
- Aston Villa has won only one of their last nine second halves in the Premier League (3 draws and 5 losses).
- At least three goals have been scored in 8 of the club's last 9 away league matches.
Newcastle vs. Aston Villa: Match Prediction
The hosts have a good record in head-to-head encounters with the Birmingham side. Newcastle has won 4 of the last 5 league games against them. Additionally, the team remains unbeaten at Villa Park in 15 consecutive Premier League meetings (9 wins and 6 draws). I predict Newcastle will come out on top in this matchup, especially after two big wins in the league, which should boost their confidence.
The Birmingham side is not as formidable on the road as they are at home. They approach this match with a streak of four consecutive Premier League away losses, in which they conceded at least two goals. Furthermore, Aston Villa has won only three of their last ten away Premier League games, and those victories came against lower-ranked opponents. I also note that Newcastle has lost only twice in their last 16 home league matches (8 wins and 6 draws). I'm confident Eddie Howe's side has put their series of poor performances behind them, where they dropped points even against teams from the lower half of the table.
My prediction – Newcastle to win
