Newcastle in ‘much better place’ ahead of festive fixtures, says Howe

Eddie Howe said his Newcastle United side are “in a much better place”, but insisted he will only enjoy the hectic Christmas schedule if his side is successful, starting with Aston Villa on Boxing Day.

The Magpies swept aside Ipswich Town last time out, winning back-to-back Premier League games, as many as they had managed in their previous 11 top-flight matches (W2 D4 L5).

Newcastle moved up to seventh in the standings after their win at Portman Road, four points away from the top four, and Howe is hopeful his team can continue their winning momentum.

“Winning changes everything. I will enjoy the Christmas period if we are successful. If we don’t, then I probably won’t. But I don’t think that is different to any other time of year,” Howe said.

“It changes the players’ emotions. The challenge for us is to get every player in the best frame of mind. We have seen from the whole squad an improvement from the start of the season.

“We are in a much better place. But it is important we don’t get distracted and focus. We have some brilliant fixtures to enjoy, but we will only enjoy them if we are at our best.”

In the opening fixture of the latest round of Premier League matches, Aston Villa produced a stunning display to down out-of-form Manchester City 2-1 at Villa Park.

The result saw the Villans win consecutive home league games against the Citizens for the first time since April 1993, with Jhon Duran and Morgan Rogers on target for the hosts.

It was a particularly impressive display from Rogers, who also set-up Duran’s opener, becoming the fourth Villa player to notch a goal and an assist against City in the Premier League.

He ended the contest having had more shots (four) and touches in the opposition box (six) than any of his team-mates, with only John McGinn (four) creating more chances than Rogers (two).

The 22-year-old has been one of Villa’s standout performers so far this season, but credited his recent form down to manager Unai Emery after arriving from Middlesbrough last February.

“Everyday he pushes me. He doesn’t let me have a second off. He wants the best for me and that’s perfect for me,” Rogers said.

“We have a good working relationship. I’m not the only one he has improved. I want to keep going on that trajectory and see where it takes me.”

Villa face a potentially season-defining run of fixtures over Christmas, with Brighton and Leicester City up next after Newcastle before games against Everton and Arsenal.

But Rogers is confident that his team’s win over Pep Guardiola’s side can help build momentum to push them closer to the Champions League places.

“We had a run of tough games, and we didn’t play to the standard that we liked, and juggling the new competition [Champions League] was a new challenge,” he concluded.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Newcastle – Alexander Isak

Isak’s first Newcastle hat-trick last time out took him to 23 Premier League goals in 2024, with only Erling Haaland (26) and Cole Palmer (25) netting more in the competition.

The only Newcastle players to score more across a single calendar year in the competition are Alan Shearer (27 in 2002) and Andrew Cole (24 in 1994).

Aston Villa – Jhon Duran

And the contest could be decided between the two European hopefuls at the top end of the pitch, with Villa’s Duran also in fine form and proving his worth from the start.

Only Chris Wood (five) has scored more winning goals in the Premier League this term than Duran (four), while the Colombian has the best minutes-per-goal ratio in the competition this campaign (one every 80 minutes).

MATCH PREDICTION: NEWCASTLE WIN

Newcastle are unbeaten in their last 15 Premier League home games against Villa (W9 D6), since a 3-0 loss in April 2005. They’ve won the last three in a row by an aggregate score of 10-1.

After a run of two wins in 11 Premier League games, Newcastle have won both of their last two matches by a 4-0 scoreline (vs Leicester and Ipswich). The Magpies have never won three consecutive league games by 4+ goals before, while the last side to do so in the Premier League were Manchester City in May 2022.

However, the Magpies have endured a Christmas hangover in recent years, losing their last three Boxing Day home games, including a 3-1 loss against Nottingham Forest last year. It’s their longest such losing streak in their league history.

Villa, meanwhile, have lost their last four Premier League away games, as many as in their previous 17 on the road (W9 D4). They last lost more consecutively away from home in a single campaign between February and May 2016 (seven).

The Villans have also lost four of their last five Premier League games against Newcastle (W1), including both meetings last season. They last lost three in a row against the Magpies between January 2013 and February 2014.

And both sides will be desperate for a win to continue their forward momentum. However, both Newcastle (16) and Aston Villa (15) have lost more Premier League games on Boxing Day than any other side in the competition’s history.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Newcastle – 46.8%

Draw – 26.4%

Aston Villa – 26.8%