That’s one of the best performances of the season by Aston Villa. There was no “one half on, one half off” last tonight—Villa were right at it from the first minute. Considering the gravity of this match for both sides, Villa put in a performance that even the neutrals would’ve enjoyed watching.
Villa just had too much for Newcastle. Everyone played their part in this win—including the manager. From the starting line-up to the subs who came on and made an impact, every single player contributed. Honestly, I don’t think there was one player you could say didn’t add value to that win.
Watkins, Maatsen, and Onana all got on the scoresheet at Villa Park, but my pick for Man of the Match is Youri Tielemans. He was outstanding tonight. Watkins ran him close, but Youri gets it for me. He showed skill, guile, tenacity, and a range of passing across the pitch that would have Glenn Hoddle standing up and applauding.
And what about Emery? With such a strong squad, keeping everyone happy is a challenge in itself. Watkins’ interview after the match gave us a little insight into how he handled being left out of the starting line-up in both legs against PSG. He was clearly upset about it—but you wouldn’t have known. He came in tonight and was absolutely outstanding. Well done, Ollie.
We haven’t got much time to enjoy this one—maybe just a few minutes—because we’ve got Manchester City away on Tuesday night. The games are coming thick and fast, but if we carry this momentum into the next one, we’ve got every reason to believe. UTV.