Sports
Huge away win keeps Villa in hunt
Aston Villa kept up the pressure at the top of the Premier League as goals from Emi Buendia and Ollie Watkins earned a massive win at Newcastle.
Villa moved level on points with Manchester City in second place with a hard-fought win based on brilliant counter-attacking football.
Buendia bent in a picture-pefect long-range strike for Villa’s 13th goal of the season to come from outside the penalty area.
And then as Newcastle threw men forwards England forward Watkins planted a classy header into the corner.
Newcastle were without injured captain Bruno Guimaraes but nearly scored in the first minute. Emi Martinez managed to block Sandro Tonali’s shot with a leg.
It took a fine 12th-minute save from Nick Pope to deny Watkins after Jadon Sancho had played the striker in behind Malick Thiaw.
Buendia, Morgan Rogers and Watkins were starting to cause problems for the hosts, and they forced their way in front with 19 minutes gone when Buendia was allowed time and space to line up a shot from 20 yards and drilled a dipping effort across and beyond Pope.
The visitors were dominating as Rogers and Watkins repeatedly stretched the Magpies’ defence in an increasingly fractious contest in which referee Jarred Gillett played a central role.
Pope had to save from Rogers after Sven Botman had inexplicably flicked the ball into his path under pressure from Watkins and with the Magpies blowing themselves out, they cemented the win two minutes from time when, after Pope had clawed away his piledriver, Watkins headed home a second from Matty Cash’s cross when the hosts failed to deal with the resulting corner.
