Newcastle Spank Aston Villa 3-0
Alexander Isak continued his fine goalscoring form as Newcastle defeated 10-man Aston Villa to move fifth in the Premier League table.
The hosts went ahead after only 80 seconds through Anthony Gordon’s excellent, curled finish from just inside the penalty area after Joelinton had led a charge forwards following team-mate Sandro Tonali’s interception inside his own half.
Villa’s chances of getting back in the game suffered a blow in the 32nd minute when striker Jhon Duran was shown a straight red card for violent conduct after a challenge on Fabian Schar.
Referee Anthony Taylor ruled Duran had deliberately stamped on Schar’s back after the Newcastle defender had slid in for a challenge, although the 21-year-old Colombia striker, who later kicked a water bottle in frustration, claimed the contact had been accidental.
Villa boss Unai Emery was unhappy with Taylor’s decision and frustrated he was not told by video assistant referee (VAR) Graham Scott to review the incident.
“Always I am supporting VAR but you have to use VAR,” said Emery. “The referee was the only person in the stadium who couldn’t take his time. He has to be intelligent to take time and get the right decision.
“In this case you have to use the VAR. He has to be smart, and calm. It has to be like that. The red card more or less kills the game, it changes it completely.”
Isak, 25, scored a hat-trick in Saturday’s 4-0 win at Ipswich Town and the Sweden forward added Newcastle’s second against Villa early in the second half.
He converted from close range following Jacob Murphy’s low cross from the right wing for his 11th Premier League goal of the season and his seventh in six games.
Newcastle sealed a superb victory when Joelinton took advantage of a loose Villa pass from Amadou Onana to curl a 92nd-minute third past Emiliano Martinez.
The Magpies’ win took them above Villa and last season’s champions Manchester City, while Villa, after a fifth successive away league defeat, slipped to ninth.
