With broken hearts, an abject Aston Villa side must quickly move on from their gut-wrenching Champions League exit when they host Newcastle United in a Premier League blockbuster on Saturday evening.
The Lions' extremely valiant efforts were for nought against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday evening, but the Magpies were irresistible in a 5-0 slaughter of Crystal Palace the day after.
Match preview
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In any other circumstance, Villa manager and former PSG head coach Emery would have wildly celebrated coming back from two goals down to slay the French champions, but the Spaniard trudged away to the tunnel arguably the most apoplectic he has been since arriving in the West Midlands.
Emery's side put up an exceptional fight on Tuesday evening, responding to Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes's efforts through Youri Tielemans, John McGinn and Ezri Konsa, but the gigantic Gianluigi Donnarumma denied the Villans the fourth goal they so needed and so craved.
As PSG celebrated a thrilling 5-4 aggregate success, a visibly enraged Emery launched a water bottle into the air as he stormed to the dressing room at full time, although the astounding efforts of him and his players were rightly recognised as the fervent home crowd applauded him off as soon as the whistle blew.
While Villa have been denied one semi-final, Emery can still harness his knockout powers in the last four of the FA Cup against Crystal Palace later this month, and the hosts are on the hunt for a fifth straight Premier League win this weekend to remain in top-five contention.
The seventh-placed Lions are only below Chelsea on goal difference and have just a one-point deficit to make up to Manchester City in the final Champions League spot; furthermore, little more needs to be said about their outstanding home record.
Indeed, Tuesday's inconsequential 3-2 win over PSG was their fifth on the spin on their own turf, where they are also unbeaten in 18 straight matches in all competitions, despite only managing to keep a surprising four clean sheets in that sequence.
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Involved in a five-goal thriller of their own in midweek, Newcastle served up another treat for absent manager Eddie Howe, hitting Crystal Palace for five without reply to force their way onto the Premier League podium.
Assistant Jason Tindall oversaw another merciless Magpies performance in which Alexander Isak, Jacob Murphy, Harvey Barnes and Fabian Schar found the mark alongside a Marc Guehi own goal, as Saturday's visitors came up trumps for the sixth time in a row across all tournaments.
As well as only being four points behind Arsenal in second place, Newcastle are still mathematically in contention to win the title, but the Magpies would need nothing short of a miracle to finish first; specifically winning every game and hoping that Liverpool only claim a maximum of one point from their last six matches.
However, getting one over the Reds in the EFL Cup final and sealing Champions League qualification for 2025-26 would undoubtedly suffice for Newcastle fans, who have already seen their side win eight away games this season; they last won nine in a single Premier League campaign in 2001-02.
The Magpies are well-placed to match that 22-year feat if the head-to-head books are anything to go by, as Newcastle have prevailed in each of their last three Premier League fixtures against Aston Villa, managing at least three goals on every occasion.
Team News
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As Leon Bailey was fit enough for a place on the bench against PSG in the second leg, Aston Villa boss Emery has a clean bill of health at present; no other manager in the Premier League has that luxury.
The Spaniard's decisions to not start Ollie Watkins and then bring off an impactful Marcus Rashford on Tuesday both raised eyebrows, but it would be a shock not to see the former return to the first XI this weekend, where jellied legs could lead to a couple of alterations.
Jacob Ramsey and Marco Asensio are also banging on the door, but after missing two penalties at Southampton and then spurning a good chance against parent club PSG, the latter may not be in Emery's good books right now.
On Newcastle's side, it is also as you were from midweek, and the Magpies should only be missing Sven Botman (knee), Jamaal Lascelles (knee) and Lewis Hall (foot) for the trip to the West Midlands.
While Villa have Manchester City to come next Tuesday, Newcastle have a full week in between Saturday's match and the visit of Ipswich Town on April 26, so Tindall may not feel the need to alter a winning formula this weekend.
As a result, hotshot Barnes will keep Anthony Gordon at bay again, while Murphy aims to build on a return of 13 goal involvements from his last 17 Premier League away games, four of his own and nine assists.
Aston Villa possible starting lineup:
Martinez; Konsa, Torres, Disasi, Maatsen; Kamara, Tielemans; Rogers, McGinn, Rashford; Watkins
Newcastle United possible starting lineup:
Pope; Trippier, Schar, Burn, Livramento; Guimaraes, Tonali, Joelinton; Murphy, Isak, Barnes
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We say: Aston Villa 2-3 Newcastle United
Aston Villa vs. Newcastle has plenty to live up to given both sides' midweek feats and their affinity for goal-laden displays, and Saturday's contest has all the makings of an absorbing watch.
How much Villa will be psychologically affected by being dumped out of Europe remains to be seen, but a rejigged defence could come unstuck against a rampaging Magpies attack, and we can just about picture the visitors coming out on top as the heartbroken hosts suffer their first home loss of 2025.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ben Knapton
