Aston Villa will look to continue their impressive scoring form when they visit Newcastle United in the Premier League on Saturday. Unai Emery's side have found the net in each of their last six matches across all competitions, a run that includes a 6-0 demolition of Fenerbahçe in the Champions League on Wednesday night. That victory was their fourth win in five unbeaten games, a sequence that has lifted spirits after a difficult start to the league campaign. Villa currently sit 16th in the standings with five points from six matches, but their recent attacking performances suggest a corner may have been turned. Nicolas Jackson has been central to that, scoring four times in his last three appearances, including a brace against Fenerbahçe.
Defensive reshuffle for Villa
Emery is forced into a defensive reshuffle for the trip north. Left-back Matteo Ruggeri is out for more than a month with a hamstring injury, while Ian Maatsen continues his recovery from an ankle problem. With no fit specialist for the position, Aaron Wan-Bissaka is expected to deputise on the left side of defence once more. Further doubts surround Bazoumana Toure and Jacob Ramsey, adding to a lengthy injuries list that includes long-term absentee Amadou Onana. The manager must decide whether to recall Pau Torres in central defence after he was rested in midweek.
Newcastle's vulnerabilities
Newcastle, managed by Matthias Jaissle, present their own challenges. They have conceded 13 goals in their six league games so far, an average of over two per match, and have let in at least one goal in each of their last four home matches. Despite this, they sit 11th with eight points, having scored 11 goals themselves. Historically, Newcastle hold the advantage in this fixture with 77 wins to Villa's 61 from 178 meetings. However, Villa won the most recent Premier League clash at St James' Park 2-0 back in January, with goals from Ollie Watkins and Douglas Luiz. Key to Newcastle's hopes will be the form of striker Alexander Isak, who has five league goals this season and netted twice in the February meeting.
The match kicks off at 5.30pm BST on Saturday and is live on Sky Sports. Villa will be confident their in-form attack can exploit Newcastle's defensive frailties, though they will need to be wary of Isak's threat. The last meeting between the sides ended in a 3-1 win for Newcastle at Villa Park in February. A look at the full fixtures list shows both clubs face a busy schedule after the international break.
