Tyrone Mings Expects Challenging Start For Aston Villa Against Newcastle United In Premier League Opener

Add as a preferred source on Google

Tyrone Mings anticipates a challenging start for Aston Villa as they prepare to face Newcastle United in their Premier League opener. Despite finishing level on points with Newcastle last season, Villa missed out on the Champions League due to goal difference after losing to Manchester United on the final day. Unai Emery's team won three pre-season friendlies, while Newcastle failed to secure a win in their six matches.

Mings, who previously played under Newcastle manager Eddie Howe at Bournemouth, expects a tough match. "Knowing Eddie Howe as I know him, they'll be very intense, they'll be fit—his pre-seasons are quite difficult," said Mings. "They're a fantastic team. They have great players and every game against them is very difficult."

Newcastle's pre-season was overshadowed by transfer rumours involving Alexander Isak, last year's top scorer with 23 Premier League goals. Linked with Liverpool, the Magpies reportedly rejected a £110 million offer for the 25-year-old. Despite these distractions, Newcastle strengthened their defence by signing Malick Thiaw from AC Milan.

Eddie Howe expressed his satisfaction with the new addition: "We're really pleased to have Malick on board. He's a player I've admired for a long time and somebody who will add real quality to our defensive options." Thiaw's experience in both domestic and European competitions is seen as an asset for Newcastle this season.

For Aston Villa, Ollie Watkins stands out after leading the team with 16 goals and eight assists last season. He has scored in all four of his Premier League home games against Newcastle, contributing five goals and two assists. Jacob Murphy is one to watch for Newcastle; he had his best Premier League season last year with eight goals and 12 assists.

Murphy's performance was second only to Mohamed Salah in terms of assists last season. With Isak potentially absent, Murphy will be crucial for Newcastle's attacking efforts.

Match Prediction and Historical Context

Aston Villa are unbeaten in their last 21 home games across all competitions, winning the last eight consecutively. This marks their longest unbeaten run at Villa Park since 1976-77. Villa aims for consecutive wins against Newcastle for the first time since 2004-05.

The teams met in their opening league match two seasons ago when Newcastle triumphed 5-1 at St James' Park. However, Newcastle have lost five of their last six away games against Villa, except for a 3-1 victory in January 2024.

Opta Win Probability

The Opta win probability suggests Aston Villa has a 42% chance of winning, while a draw stands at 25.4%, and Newcastle has a 32.7% chance of victory.

Mings remains optimistic about the upcoming match: "We have to be at our sharpest and at our best to get a result." He added that starting the season at home against Newcastle is exciting: "What a great way to start the season at home in front of our fans against Newcastle."