Newcastle are a strange Club and by that I mean, they've got so much potential and it's easy to see why they have optimistic supporters and should they get the new ownership they all want, you never know what could happen. But they've not got that and they have Steve Bruce.
Yet, they walk around with a smile and that optimistic limp.
Am I going to get in to trouble? Probably. Do I care? No. You basically never know what you're going to get with Newcastle but Steve Bruce is different because you know what you will get with him. And this is from the person that thought he should never have been sacked by us and he should have been employed earlier.
But this is the Premier League and it's not about this is my ball. Newcastle also don't have the players.
It's questionable that we do at this stage of the season too. But we do have the best keeper in the Premier League and tomorrow that might be what wins us the game. Yes, I have a man crush on Emiliano.
But, enough of that. I should also write that someone called Jason won the competition last time out so he has two tickets for the match. I hope you have fun Jason. He was a few thousand a way from the right number. And we might still have a competition tomorrow, I'm just going to sober up and email someone.
I'm going for a home win, but I'm not predicting a mouth watering performance. I'm thinking scrappy. Smith versus Bruce this early in the season isn't a pretty thought.
Match facts from the BBC
Head-to-head
- Aston Villa have won successive home matches against Newcastle and are unbeaten in six Premier League meetings since losing 1-0 away in February 2015.
- However, those two losses at Villa Park are Newcastle's only defeats in the past 16 encounters.
- Villa haven't gone seven games without defeat in the top flight against Newcastle since 1955 to 1958.
- Newcastle have failed to score in four Premier League visits to Villa Park since a 2-1 victory in September 2013.
Aston Villa
- Villa are in danger of losing their opening two Premier League fixtures of a season for the fifth time.
- They haven't won their first home league match of the season in consecutive years since 2011 and 2012. They beat Sheffield United 1-0 in their opening game at Villa Park last season.
- Dean Smith's side have only managed eight wins and 29 points from 25 league matches in 2021.
- The Villans could score two goals or more in five consecutive top-flight fixtures for the first time since January 2008.
- Smith lost his first league meeting as a manager against Steve Bruce but is unbeaten in the subsequent nine encounters.
Newcastle United
- Newcastle failed to win their second league fixture in each of the past nine seasons, scoring just two goals (D3, L6).
- However, they can earn three consecutive Premier League away wins for the first time since December 2001 under Bobby Robson.
- The Magpies took 10 points out of a possible 12 in their final four away league games last season. They've haven't had a longer unbeaten top-flight away run since a six-match streak between May and October 2011.
- Newcastle's only two victories in their past 18 Premier League fixtures in August came at home to West Ham in 2017 and away at Tottenham in 2019 (D6, L10).
- Callum Wilson has faced Aston Villa five times in the Premier League without scoring.
- Joe Willock could become only the fourth player to score in at least eight consecutive Premier League games, emulating Ruud van Nistelrooy (twice), Jamie Vardy (twice) and Daniel Sturridge.
- Steve Bruce, sacked as Aston Villa head coach in October 2018, has lost his past four Premier League away fixtures at Villa Park - two each with Hull City and Newcastle.