Newcastle United climbed back to the top of the Championship table courtesy of a 2-0 win over luckless Aston Villa at St James' Park this evening.
The opening 45 minutes saw just one shot on target from either side, but that was enough to provide the opening goal as Yoann Gouffran swept the hosts into an undeserved lead shortly before the interval.
The Magpies improved in the second half, though, and an Henri Lansbury own goal sealed the points before Villa's misery was compounded late on when Scott Hogan was stretchered off with a serious-looking ankle injury.
Find out how all of the action unfolded courtesy of Sports Mole's minute-by-minute updates below.
Good evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for tonight's Championship clash as Newcastle United host Aston Villa at St James' Park. Both sides come into this match in need of a win for very different reasons, with Newcastle looking to move back to the summit of the table while Villa are growing increasingly desperate to stop the rot. It promises to be an intriguing affair but, before we look at the situation both clubs are in, let's first check out the team news...
NEWCASTLE STARTING XI: Darlow; Yedlin, Lascelles, Clark, Dummett; Ritchie, Shelvey, Colback, Gouffran; Diame; Gayle
NEWCASTLE SUBS: Elliot, Hanley, Gamez, Lazaar, Atsu, Perez, Mitrovic
ASTON VILLA STARTING XI: Johnstone; Hutton, Elphick, Chester, Taylor; Jedinak, Hourihane, Lansbury, Bjarnason, Kodjia; Hogan
ASTON VILLA SUBS: Bunn, Baker, Bacuna, Gardner, Amavi, Adomah, Grealish
What can we make of those two teams, then? Well, the headline news for Newcastle is the inclusion of Dwight Gayle, who returns to the starting lineup following more than a month out with a hamstring injury. The striker made his return off the bench against Norwich last time out but is back amongst the starters today, with his place as the Championship's top scorer still intact despite missing six games with the injury.
Gayle replaces Mitrovic in the starting lineup, which is one of just two changes made by Rafael Benitez to the team that drew against Norwich last time out. The other change also comes in an attacking position as Mohamed Diame is brought in to play behind Gayle as Ayoze Perez joins Mitrovic in dropping to the bench. Diame is a powerful runner who will be looking to get up in support of Gayle and provide runs behind the Villa defence from a deeper position, which is something the visitors will need to keep a close eye on.
There are plenty of threats from the home side's midfield today, with Matt Ritchie chief amongst them down the right flank. He has worked very well with DeAndre Yedlin down that side of the pitch so far this season, and Jonathan Kodjia will need to help out a lot defensively for Villa is that Newcastle duo are on form today. On the opposition flank, Yoann Gouffran retains his place for the Magpies.
One of the stars of Newcastle's season has been Jonjo Shelvey, who is a player more than capable of cutting it in the Premier League. His range of passing allows him to sit back and act as a deep-lying playmaker at times, but the presence of Jack Colback will also enable him to get forward and provide yet more attacking thrust for Newcastle tonight. It is an unchanged midfield and defence from Benitez, with the back five all keeping their places in the side. For Clark, it is a match against his former club tonight.
As for Aston Villa, their headline is the return of Mile Jedinak from injury, with the Australian having missed the past five games with a groin problem. Villa have look vulnerable on the counter-attack in recent weeks without a real holding midfielder, so Jedinak should help to plug some gaps in the middle of the park as he replaces Albert Adomah in the starting XI, which also allows January signing Henri Lansbury to push further forward.
That is one of four changes made by manager Steve Bruce, with Jack Grealish among those to drop out of the side as Bjarnason comes in. Quite how Aston Villa are in such dire straights looking at those midfield options is a bit of a mystery, with Jonathan Kodjia providing 11 goals in the league this season - the most for Villa - and Conor Hourihane registering a league-high 11 assists in the second tier.
Of course, Hourihane's assists were all for Barnsley before his January move, though, and he is still searching for his first as an Aston Villa player. Scott Hogan, who leads the line tonight, is suffering from a similar problem on the goal front following his big-money move from Brentford. The striker was in high demand during January having scored 14 goals in the Championship, but he is still looking for his first for Villa.
The remaining two changes I haven't yet mentioned both come in defence as Baker and Amavi both drop out to be replaced by Elphick and Neil Taylor, the latter of whom makes just his second Championship start for the club following his January arrival from Swansea. Bruce is putting plenty of faith in those January signings to turn his side's season around, but so far it has been unsuccessful and time is beginning to run out for them to rectify the problem.
There is plenty of quality of the field for both sides, then - particularly at this level - but there is no doubt that Newcastle come into this match as the overwhelming favourites to come away with all three points. It is easy to see why too, with the home advantage and the vastly superior form in the build-up to the game. The hosts also have plenty to play for tonight after being knocked off top spot by Brighton's 2-0 victory over Barnsley on Saturday.
This is Newcastle's game in hand over the Seagulls, and they will be desperate not to miss what looks like a golden opportunity to immediately regain their place at the top of the Championship tree. They are currently two points off Brighton, so only a win will do in that respect, while they may also have one eye cast over their shoulder considering the form of third-placed Huddersfield, who sit just five points behind and will have a game in hand after tonight.
Rafael Benitez will be confident that his side can cope with the pressure, though, with the Magpies coming into this match unbeaten in their last six Championship outings - a run which includes four wins and two draws and stretches back to January 2. It is their longest unbeaten run in the league since November, and a much-needed improvement on a spell of form that saw them lose four times in an eight-match spell in the build-up to the New Year.
It is no surprise to see Newcastle among the leading pack in the Championship this season considering the players at their disposal - not to mention a Champions League-winning manager - and there is also no doubting that they deserve to be there. They have scored more goals than any other side in the league - indeed, only League Two leaders Doncaster have scored more in England's top four tiers - while they also boast the best defensive record in the Championship, with only 25 goals conceded.
Only Norwich have scored more goals in front of their own fans than Newcastle this season, but the Magpies have actually been relatively poor at home compared with their away exploits. They have amassed four fewer points at St James' Park than they have on the road and can only claim the seventh-best home record in the division, with Brighton, Reading, Norwich, Huddersfield, Leeds and Sheffield Wednesday all having picked up more points. Based purely on home form, then, Newcastle would be outside the playoff places and a full eight points adrift of Brighton.
Having said that, the Magpies are unbeaten in their last five games at St James' Park in all competitions, winning four and drawing one - including three wins and a draw in the Championship. Their most recent loss here came at the hands of Sheffield Wednesday on Boxing Day, while their most recent game saw them beat Derby 1-0 earlier this month. Things are improving for Newcastle, then, but it isn't quite the fortress you might expect considering their lofty league position.
The first goal often proves to be key in Newcastle matches, with the Magpies having only conceded it in six of their Championship games all season - the lowest tally in the league. Benitez have also conceded just one goal in the opening 15 minutes of matches and 10 in the first half, both of which are also league-low totals. However, on the six occasions that they have conceded the first goal, they have gone on to lose those games.
Getting the first goal is a lot easier said than done, though, particularly for an Aston Villa side who have found goals very hard to come by in general this season. The Villans have scored just four goals in their last eight matches in all competitions and have a measly 30 from 31 games all season - only relegation-threatened Wigan Athletic have fewer. Things are better at the other end of the pitch, where they have conceded just 36 times, but to start winning matches they must start scoring more goals.
Villa's defensive record is actually the best in the bottom 13, while only Derby County have conceded fewer outside the playoff places, but that will be scant consolation for Villa fans considering their recent run of form. Relegation is currently looking like a much more realistic option than a playoff battle, with Steve Bruce's side just six points clear of the bottom three and 22 adrift of the top six.
Even considering the state of the club when they were relegated from the Premier League last season, the playoffs would have been seen as the minimum target for Villa this term, particularly following the arrival of another Champions League-winning coach in Roberto Di Matteo. However, the Italian won just one of his opening 12 matches in charge of the club before being replaced by Steve Bruce, who initially produced an upturn in form but has more recently struggled like his predecessor.
Bruce's reign began with a run of seven games unbeaten and only two defeats in his first 13 matches, but things have since taken a sharp turn for the worse. Villa come into this match without a win in their last nine games in all competitions, including eight Championship outings - the longest ongoing winless streak in the division. Their last victory in any competition came on Boxing Day, and since the turn of the year Villa have taken a league-low one point from a possible 21.
That is relegation form in any league, and only the bottom three have won fewer games than Villa's eight this season. The main problems for them, though, have come via draws, with a league-high 12 matches ending all square already this season. Having said that, Bruce would bite your hand off for a draw today, if only to end a run of four straight defeats and prevent his side from losing five on the bounce for the first time since that dreadful run of 11 in a row en route to Premier League relegation last season.
Villa's current four-match losing streak is their worst run outside of the top flight since 1970, and another defeat this evening would make it five in a row in the second tier for the first time since 1937 - a damning indictment of their current form. Their most recent outing saw them slump to a 3-1 home defeat at the hands of Barnsley on Tuesday, a result which turned up the pressure that little bit more on Bruce.
Whilst Villa's form on the whole is poor, their away record in recent times is staggeringly bad. They have lost their last five outings on the road in recent times and have only managed two away wins in 18 outings all season, the most recent of which came before Christmas. It gets even worse, though, with those two triumphs being their only away successes since August 2015 - a run of 38 matches which includes 27 defeats. This season only four teams have amassed fewer Championship points on the road, while Villa have also scored a league-low eight goals on their travels.
PREDICTION: Right, we're 10 minutes away from kickoff at St James' Park, which means that it is time for a prediction! The form book, the league table and pretty much everything else points at only one result tonight, and I can't see anything other than a home victory here. Newcastle haven't been the best at home this term, but Villa's away record simply cannot be ignored. I'm backing the Magpies to win 2-0.
In addition to all of the below reasons, recent history between these two sides also points to Villa coming away with nothing from the North-East tonight. Newcastle are unbeaten in their last 10 home league games against the Villans, winning six and drawing four since a 3-0 defeat in April 2005. Gareth Barry scored a brace from the spot to add to a Juan Pablo Angel opener in that match, but it is most remembered for a fight between Newcastle teammates Kieron Dyer and Lee Bowyer, who were both sent off to leave the Magpies with eight men on the field.
Home and away, Villa are winless in their last 11 meetings with Newcastle, drawing six and losing five in that time. Their last triumph over the Magpies came in April 2011 when James Collins scored the only goal of the game at Villa Park.
Despite all of their troubles this season, Villa did manage a draw in the reverse meeting between these two sides, with Tshibola's 88th-minute equaliser cancelling out an Elphick own goal at Villa Park in September. It was also 1-1 on Villa's last visit to St James' Park, with Coloccini opening the scoring for Newcastle before Jordan Ayew earned a point for the visitors in December 2015.
Right, we're just about ready to go here for this high-profile Championship clash at St James' Park. Can Newcastle take another step towards promotion, or will Villa stop the rot?
KICKOFF: Here we go, then! Aston Villa get us underway at St James' Park.
As expected, Newcastle have seen the majority of the ball in the opening exchanges here. Gouffran picks up possession in space in midfielder, but doesn't look up to the make the most of it and instead plays a pass behind Ritchie that goes out of play.
CHANCE! What a chance for Villa to make a perfect start to the match! Hogan lifts a header towards the back post having beaten the offside trap and Darlow is merely a spectator as it floats to Bjarnason. It is a difficult one for the Icelandic midfielder as he watches it over his shoulder and has to keep his eye on the ball before putting it narrowly wide from point blank range. That was a very strange chance, but a big one nonetheless.
The midfield battle should be really interesting tonight. Lansbury and Hourihane are among the best midfielders in the Championship, but Shelvey's name would also be in that argument and none of the players in the middle of the park will shy away from a tackle.
Ritchie has his first chance to cross the ball, cutting onto that left foot of his before whipping a deep one towards the back post, but Johnstone collects it comfortably.
Jedinak is furious with the referee here after getting nothing for a dramatic fall under pressure from Diame. Instead, Newcastle have an attacking throw-in, but it comes to nothing.
Now it is Hourihane who lets Peter Bankes know exactly what he is thinking after the referee decided not to penalise Yedlin for a mistimed sliding challenge. There was no contact, but that is because Hourihane jumped out of the way of it. The Villa man has a case there, it should have been a free kick in a good crossing position.
This time the referee does blow up for a foul on Hourihane by Colback, who can have no complaints. It draws a talking-to from Peter Bankes, but no further action.
No real chances to speak of since that early opening for Villa which Bjarnason could not turn in from close range. It's quite an even affair at the moment.
Hogan gets on the shoulder of the last man and collects a pass on the left side of the area, but the angle is against him and, while he does well to squeeze a pass into the middle, it is easy for the keeper to collect.
Kodjia gifts Newcastle possession in a very dangerous position, but immediately atones for his error by nipping in to steal the ball back from Ritchie. Good work from the Villa top scorer after his initial error.
Fair play to Villa - they are not playing like a side with just one point to their name so far this calendar year. Given their recent form, a trip to St James' Park could have been quite a daunting prospect for them, but they have matched Newcastle every step of the way so far.
UPDATE: Sad news for all neutrals in the FA Cup tonight as Arsenal have taken the lead against non-league Sutton United. It took almost half an hour, but the Gunners have found the breakthrough at Gander Green Lane through Lucas Perez.
Back at St James' there is a stoppage as Yedlin receives treatment after being caught by the arm of Lansbury. There are a few questions being asked whether it was deliberate and deserves punishment, but he never took his eyes off the ball.
Shelvey looks for a Hollywood ball over the top for Gayle, but there is just too much on it for the returning striker to reach. Villa's defence has looked very sturdy so far.
Newcastle are trying things, but they are just not working out for the home side at the moment. They are yet to have a shot in the opening half an hour or so and haven't even looked like breaking through this Villa defence.
Frustration is just beginning to grow amongst the home fans here as heir side continue to struggle for a way through. This one doesn't look like being quite as straightforward as the form book suggested.
SAVE! Villa have looked the most like scoring so far tonight, and they come close to fortuitous opener here as Kodjia's cross deflects off Yedlin and threatens to sneak in. Darlow is needed to tip it over the top.
NEWCASTLE SUB: Gayle's return from injury lasts just over half an hour before he is forced off to be replaced by Aleksandar Mitrovic. There didn't seem to be any obvious problem for the striker, but he must have felt that something was amiss.
YELLOW CARD! The first card of the night is shown to Shelvey for what looks like sarcastic applause after the referee gave Newcastle a free kick. I suspect it may not be the last time the ref goes into his pocket either.
I mentioned Newcastle's poor record when they don't score the opening goal in games during the build-up, and right now it is still Villa who look the most likely. The visitors have by no means laid siege to the Newcastle goal, but they have offered more threat than the hosts.
YELLOW CARD! Lascelles quickly follows Shelvey into the book for a mistimed challenge on Hogan. No complaints there.
The home fans are not entirely pleased with what they have seen from their side here. They can be a demanding bunch, and a nervous tension is lingering in the air already as we approach the halfway stage.
A rallying cry comes from the stands this time as Yedlin wins the home side a corner...
GOAL! Newcastle 1-0 Aston Villa (Yoann Gouffran)
Newcastle respond to that rallying cry! They don't really deserve it, but the Magpies are ahead just before half time, and it is a messy, messy goal. Lascelles nods the corner into a dangerous area and an almighty scramble ensues, with Villa unable to clear and Newcastle unable to get a clean shot away. Mitrovic does manage to keep it alive, though, and it eventually falls to Gouffran, who fires his finish home from close range.
Darlow is a relieved man here! Hogan gets in behind the defence and latches on to a long ball forward before going down under the challenge of Darlow in the area. The whistle blows and Darlow spins around to contest what he thinks is the ref giving a penalty, but it is instead for offside.
SHOT! Newcastle look to get a quickfire second to really hurt Villa before half time as Ritchie picks the ball up and lets fly, but his effort ends up comfortably wide of the target.
There will be two minutes of added time at the end of this first half.
Almost another chance for Newcastle as Ritchie stands a cross up to the back post which Mitrovic rises to meet, but Hutton does enough to prevent the striker testing the keeper.
HALF TIME: Newcastle 1-0 Aston Villa
The first half comes to an end at St James' Park, and it is Newcastle who go into the break with the lead despite having to wait until the 42nd minute for their first shot on target. It has been an even match for the most part, but it is Villa who have created the most opportunities and Steve Bruce will be feeling hard done by that his side trail.
That solitary goal came in very messy fashion, which is fitting for the game in truth. Lascelles won the first ball from a corner and nodded it down into a dangerous area, sparking a goalmouth scramble that eventually saw Gouffran sweep the ball home from close range. It was pinball in the area for a while before the killer touch came, though, and Villa will be unhappy that they were unable to clear the danger.
Villa could have, and perhaps should have, broken the deadlock inside five minutes when Jedinak and Hogan both flicked the ball on from a deep free kick, setting up Bjarnason at the back post. The midfielder had to keep his eye on the ball as it dropped over his shoulder, but he couldn't get his foot around it and put his volley wide from close range.
Aside from that, there really hasn't been much in terms of goalmouth action for either side here. Darlow has been forced into one save as a result of a deflected cross, while Matt Ritchie fired a low strike comfortably wide of the target shortly after Newcastle had taken the lead. That Gouffran goal was the only shot on target of the opening 45 minutes, though.
KICKOFF: Newcastle United get us back underway for the second half here at St James'.
Bright start to the half from Newcastle as they win an early corner. The initial delivery comes to nothing before Colback's follow-up cross is flicked well over by Lascelles.
Hourihane brings down Colback in a dangerous position, and Ritchie is lining up the resulting free kick. This is well within his range...
Ritchie plays a quick one-two with Shelvey in an attempt to improve the angle, but then fires his effort straight into the wall.
UPDATE: Sutton United have had a couple of chances in their FA Cup fifth round clash with Arsenal, but the dream looks to be over for them. Theo Walcott has just scored his 100th goal for the Gunners to double their lead.
Good work from Chester, who lost the ball originally but then got back in position to deal with a dangerous cross from Ritchie, winning a free kick in the process.
One of the biggest cheers of the night greets a very wayward volley from Bjarnason, who attempted Scholes-esque volley from the edge of the area as the ball dropped to him. St James' Park is a big stadium, but that one almost clears the stands it was so far over the top.
SAVE! Newcastle win another free kick within shooting range, and Shelvey hammers an effort goalwards. However, Johnstone watches it all the way and parries it around the post.
GOAL! Newcastle 2-0 Aston Villa (Henri Lansbury own goal)
Could that be game over? Newcastle double their advantage just before the hour mark and not only does it come from another corner, but it is also another messy one. Lascelles turns the corner towards goal, but all looks to be in safe hands with Lansbury on the line. However, the Villa midfielder is so slow to react and time almost seems to stop as he nudges the ball onto the post before it rebounds back onto his leg and trickles over the line. Really poor defending from Lansbury there.
An even bigger cheer greeted the announcement that that was an own goal than the goal itself brought. Lansbury has been the villain of the piece tonight having been at the centre of two red cards for Newcastle players during a match with his former club Nottingham Forest in December.
This has by no means been Newcastle's best performance of the season, but they look like finding a way to win. Villa, meanwhile, have shown encouraging signs but once again look to be on course for another defeat.
CHANCE! If Villa are to get back into this match then they need a goal soon, and they probably should have got one here. Bjarnason finds himself in on goal with a bouncing ball inside the area, but Darlow is out quickly and makes himself big to deny the Villa midfielder.
CHANCE! The Newcastle fans, who were anxious and frustrated just half an hour ago are giving their side the 'Ole' treatment now. Newcastle pass the ball around at their own tempo and eventually work a chance, with the ball breaking to Ritchie inside the box. After seeing a penalty appeal turned down, the winger is quickly back on his feet and drills a shot towards the near post which Johnstone does well to keep out.
SAVE! Another half-chance for Newcastle, who are really starting to feel this game now. Mitrovic's effort doesn't have enough venom behind it to really trouble the keeper, but a third goal may not be too far away if this continues.
SAVE! Johnstone is just about keeping his side in this game! Newcastle come forward yet again here, with Colback breaking forward and driving a shot across goal, but the Villa keeper is down well low to his left to make a big one-handed save.
ASTON VILLA SUB: The visitors make their first change of the evening as Albert Adomah replaces Jedinak.
Just over 15 minutes remain here, and it is hard to see Villa getting back into this one. They needed that Bjarnason chance to go in as, over the past five minutes or so, Newcastle have looked much more likely to get the game's third goal.
It has been a rather mixed performance from the hosts here, with this second half a vast improvement on the first, but right now the most important this is the result. Barring an unlikely comeback from the visitors, Newcastle will be going back top of the table tonight.
Kodjia collects the ball on the left flank and leisurely drops back into his right foot before playing a poor cross to no-one at the back post. There was only one player to aim at in the area, which simply isn't good enough for a side who need to push for an equaliser here.
SHOT! This would have been better from Kodjia! A cross arrives to the winger on the edge of the area and out to the left, and he tries a spectacular volley - think Zidane in the Champions League final. His technique is good enough and he makes decent contact, but it flies a couple of yards over the top.
Concern for Kodjia here as he goes down following an aerial collision with Lascelles. It looked like it was more of an awkward landing than any contact between the two players, though, and I'd expect him to be fine to continue.
ASTON VILLA SUBS: Well, it seems that Kodjia will not be able to continue. Villa make a double change as Leandro Bacuna and Gary Gardner come on for the injured winger and Bjarnason.
Things look like going from bad to worse for Villa here as Hogan goes down in some pain inside the box.
Ouch. That one looks like a horrible one for Hogan, who twisted his ankle really badly when landing. The stretcher is being called for and this looks like it could be a serious one for Hogan - not what a goal-shy Villa need right now.
NEWCASTLE SUB: As Hogan continues to receive treatment, Newcastle make a change, with Christian Atsu coming on in place of Gouffran.
There will be six minutes of added time at the end of this match.
Hogan, by the way, has now been stretchered off and Villa will have to finish this game with 10 men having already made all three subs.
FULL TIME: Newcastle United 2-0 Aston Villa
The referee puts an end to Aston Villa's misery, then, as Newcastle United climb to the top of the Championship table courtesy of a 2-0 win over an increasingly troubled Aston Villa side. It is now nine league games without a win for Steve Bruce's side, and still just one point in 2017 as they fall to a five straight defeat. For Newcastle, though, they move one point clear at the top and eight above third place courtesy of a Yoann Gouffran strike and an Henri Lansbury own goal.
Right, that is all we have time for this evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for tonight's Championship clash as Newcastle United return to the top of the table courtesy of a 2-0 triumph over luckless Aston Villa. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction too. From me, though, it is goodbye for now!
