Newcastle United vs Aston Villa: prediction for the English Premier League match

It has been a year since Newcastle United was bought by a consortium led by the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia. After 12 games, the team is in the top-4 in the Premier League, fighting for European football for the first time since 2011. 

In the last round, the Magpies beat Tottenham (2:1) - this was their fourth victory in five games. Newcastle can boast of the best defensive record in the league as they conceded only 10 goals in 12 matches.

The hosts will be without Isak, Darlow, Saint-Maximin, Ritchie, and Krafth. 

Aston Villahaven't won at Newcastle since 2005, and we do not expect the Lions to deliver a winning performance in the upcoming game. They have scored only three goals in six away games and managed 12 points from 12 matches.

In the last game, however, Aston Villa got a clean-sheet victory over Brentford (4:0), which proved that the team has potential. Moreover, the club has confirmed the appointment of Unai Emery as their new manager following the sacking of Steven Gerrard.

Digne, Diego Carlos, and Augustinsson are sidelined through injuries.