Aston Villa lit up Villa Park with a dominant 4-1 victory over Newcastle United, sending a strong message in the race for a top-five finish and possible Champions League spot.
Ollie Watkins got things rolling within 33 seconds, with his early effort deflecting off Fabian Schar to put Villa ahead and draw him level with Gabriel Agbonlahor as the club’s joint-top Premier League scorer on 74 goals.
Newcastle responded in the 18th minute when Schar made amends, heading home a Harvey Barnes cross through the legs of Emiliano Martinez.
But Villa turned up the heat in the second half. In the 64th minute, Watkins set up Ian Maatsen, who coolly lifted the ball over the keeper to reclaim the lead.
Villa didn’t stop there—Jacob Ramsey’s pass was turned in by Newcastle defender Dan Burn for an own goal in the 73rd minute, and moments later, substitute Amadou Onana capped it off with a rocket into the top corner.
The emphatic win pushes Villa to sixth place, level on points with fifth-placed Nottingham Forest, and just two points behind third-place Newcastle with five games remaining.
It was a statement performance from Unai Emery’s side, full of energy, precision, and attacking flair as they keep their Champions League hopes alive.
