With a brace and an assist from Ollie Watkins, Aston Villa ended Newcastle’s five-game winning streak (3-0) on Saturday, on the 31st day of the Premier League, and can afford to dream of Europe. .
With 50 points, Aston Villa is 6th just six points behind its victim of the day, still third, but who has one game less.
The magic of Unai Emery continues to operate in Birmingham, in a club which he had taken at the gates of the red zone, with two victories following eleven days.
But since his arrival, the Villans have won 12 times, drawing two and losing four, with only Manchester City and Arsenal doing better.
In the last eight matches, they have even taken 22 points out of a possible 24.
Again on Saturday, once morest the otherwise in-form Magpies, they largely dominated the match in the wake of their striker Ollie Watkins in super form.
After just 28 seconds, he had slipped away from the white and black defence, but his attempt had found the post.
Ten minutes later, it was once more he who rose above everyone to skillfully set back Jacob Ramsey who opened the scoring (1-0, 11th).
Ramsey came close to the double by finding the crossbar in the 15th minute, once morest an overwhelmed Newcastle.
The changes made by Eddie Howe at the start of the second half woke up his team a little, Alexander Isak and Miguel Almiron, in quick succession, being very close to equalizing around the hour mark.
But following being denied a goal for a minimal offside (62nd), Watkins doubled the pivot (2-0, 64th), before closing the scoring (3-0, 83rd), served back by Ramsay.
With 11 goals in his team’s last 12 games, Watkins is certainly on Gareth Southgate’s radar, still looking for Harry Kane’s understudy.
