Newcastle United advanced to third place in the Premier League when they thrashed Crystal Palace at St. James’ Park on Wednesday evening.
Now, Jason Tindall will lead the Magpies out at Villa Park as Eddie Howe continues to recover from pneumonia. Aston Villa fought valiantly but failed to stage a comeback against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League in midweek, thus heightening what will be billed as a six-pointer of sorts.
19/04/25
Aston Villa (A)
7th
26/04/25
Ipswich Town (H)
18th
04/05/25
Brighton (A)
10th
10/05/25
Chelsea (H)
6th
18/05/25
Arsenal (A)
2nd
25/05/25
Everton (H)
13th
Unai Emery’s side sit in seventh place, five points behind Newcastle. Therefore, it’s paramount that United avoid defeat in the Midlands, reinforcing their strong position as they look to return to Europe’s elite stage after lifting the Carabao Cup in March.
Newcastle team news
Howe isn’t the only one who will be absent on Saturday evening, with Sven Botman, Jamal Lascelles and Lewis Hall all still sidelined. A weakened backline, yes, but Newcastle have proved their resourcefulness when faced with depletion.
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Tindall spoke in his pre-match press conference of the importance of keeping a winning formula intact, but having played only three days ago, several players will be eyeing a starting berth. Anthony Gordon, for one.
However, the frontline is firing on all cylinders right now and the Three Lions star may have to wait a little longer to return from the outset.
The stand-in Toon boss may want to make a small tweak to his midfield, though.
Why Newcastle should make a change in midfield
Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes are playing with such brio at the moment that to replace either of them would be a foolish notion. However, Joelinton could start this one from the bench without disrupting the overall fluency of Newcastle’s engine room.
Joelinton is a force of a player, a raging bull, and while he laid on an assist for Alexander Isak against the Eagles, the Brazilian was somewhat anonymous by his usual standards, winning three duels and taking just 33 touches before being hooked just after the hour mark.
Newcastle do have options to step in, should Tindall opt to freshen things up a tad. And who better to unleash than Lewis Miley, who has had to bide his time for minutes this term after an injury-disrupted start and the overall fluidity of Newcastle’s tried-and-tested starters.
Miley, 20, has been a breath of fresh air over the past few years, breaking from the Tyneside academy and making his name as a prospect of genuine potential, already praised for his “unbelievable” technical ability by fellow youth graduate Sean Longstaff.
Though he hasn’t featured all that often this term, the rangy midfielder could make a real impression here, stepping in due to Newcastle’s short turnaround.
His sole Premier League start of the season so far sparked a goal, and a rounded performance besides. As per Sofascore, Miley complemented his crisp, driven strike against Nottingham Forest by taking 63 touches, winning six duels and making two tackles and interceptions apiece.
Now, that dynamism could be utilised against Aston Villa. Miley’s technical, ball-playing quality will be well served against Emery’s hybrid style, looking to spark rapid transitions that could be countered by a midfield three including Miley, blending coolness with creativity.
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