That wait goes on, but a defeat should not exactly have been a foregone conclusion - even if Aston Villa are flying in third place. Newcastle were fresh from defeating PSV Eindhoven 3-0 in the Champions League in midweek. The hosts were facing an Aston Villa side who had only touched down from Istanbul in the early hours of Friday morning following their Europa League tie against Fenerbahce. Howe paid tribute to the pair for having "good games", on an afternoon he also lost another Brazilian, Joelinton, to a groin injury. "He always wants to pass forward and is always looking for a creative pass.

Source: BBC January 25, 2026 19:54 UTC