Newcastle United Confident Ahead Of Festive Fixtures Against Aston Villa On Boxing Day

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Eddie Howe expressed that Newcastle United is in a significantly improved position. However, he emphasised that his enjoyment of the busy Christmas schedule hinges on their success, beginning with Aston Villa on Boxing Day. The Magpies recently defeated Ipswich Town, marking consecutive Premier League victories, matching their total from the previous 11 matches. This win elevated Newcastle to seventh place, just four points shy of the top four.

Howe believes winning transforms everything. He stated, "I will enjoy the Christmas period if we are successful. If we don't, then I probably won't." He noted that this sentiment isn't unique to the festive season. The challenge lies in maintaining players' positive mindsets and ensuring focus remains sharp. Howe acknowledged an overall improvement since the season's start but stressed the importance of staying concentrated.

Aston Villa delivered an impressive performance against Manchester City, securing a 2-1 victory at Villa Park. This win marked their first consecutive home league victories over City since April 1993. Jhon Duran and Morgan Rogers were instrumental for Villa, with Rogers also assisting Duran's opener. Rogers had more shots and touches in City's box than any teammate and credited manager Unai Emery for his form.

Alexander Isak is a standout for Newcastle after scoring his first hat-trick for the club. With 23 Premier League goals in 2024, only Erling Haaland and Cole Palmer have scored more this year. Historically, only Alan Shearer and Andrew Cole have netted more in a single calendar year for Newcastle in the competition.

Jhon Duran has been crucial for Aston Villa, scoring four winning goals this season. Only Chris Wood has more winning goals in the Premier League this term. Duran boasts the best minutes-per-goal ratio this campaign, scoring every 80 minutes.

Upcoming Challenges

Villa faces a challenging series of fixtures over Christmas, including matches against Brighton and Leicester City following Newcastle before taking on Everton and Arsenal. Rogers is optimistic that their victory over Guardiola's side can build momentum towards Champions League qualification.

Newcastle has not lost to Villa at home in their last 15 Premier League encounters since April 2005. They have won their last three meetings by an aggregate score of 10-1. Despite recent successes, Newcastle has struggled during past Christmas periods, losing their last three Boxing Day home games.

Villa has lost their last four away games in the Premier League, equalling their previous 17 road losses combined. Their last longer losing streak away was between February and May 2016 when they lost seven consecutive matches.

Both teams aim to maintain momentum with a win; however, historically, both Newcastle (16) and Aston Villa (15) have lost more Boxing Day matches than any other team in Premier League history.

The probability of a Newcastle victory stands at 46.8%, while a draw is predicted at 26.4%. Aston Villa's chances are slightly lower at 26.8%.