I didn't want to write a post after the other night, it felt like everything that needed to be written was written on the pitch. There is one thing I do want to bring up and that is the substitution of Rashford. Other than that though, I'll not be bringing it up again.
And it's not rocket science. Was he doing well, yes he was. But that's likely because he wants to put the effort in (he's in the shop window) and because his fitness levels are where they are. And this suits everyone.
But his fitness levels are where they are because the Club have got them there. And they will be kept there by him not playing 90 minutes twice a week. For him to be able to deliver today, maybe as a substitute for the last 30 minutes, he needed to be taken off when he was the other day. It's a team game and we have a big team now and that means we can have players, like Ollie Watkins, on the bench.
And it was the bench that won us the match last weekend and I'm not sure it was a coincidence. Hopefully we don't need to rely on the bench every week but I'm not sure we will because players are also getting rotated and I think we might even see Ollie starting today with Rashford on the bench and I think regardless of what is happening on the pitch, we'll see a switch around sixty minutes.
Not just Newcastle at Villa Park
And while this post is about Newcastle today, it's also about finishing in the top five. And before we play today, Manchester City have to travel to Everton. And while Everton have only won one of the last six, they've also drawn four. They're now more difficult to beat and for one reason or another, Manchester City have not been the Manchester City we all expected this season.
If Everton don't lose today, the match against Newcastle is even more important because three points would then see us in the top five, before traveling to Manchester City on Tuesday. Today is more than just Newcastle at Villa Park.
And that's why the squad is so important at this time of the season. Six points from the next two matches would be massive for us and with the squad available, it's not impossible. We're not just invited to the big table, we are sat down eating.
Match facts from the BBC
Head-to-head
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Newcastle have won the past three Premier League meetings, scoring at least three goals each time.
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Villa have lost five of their last six top-flight clashes with the Magpies, winning the other 3-0 at Villa Park in April 2023.
Aston Villa
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Aston Villa are on an 18-match unbeaten home streak across all competitions (W12, D6), their longest since a run of 20 games between April 1990 and February 1991.
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Unai Emery's side have won nine of their past 10 matches in all competitions, with their only defeat in that spell coming away to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
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They could win five top-flight fixtures in a row for the first time since April 2023.
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Villa have lost just one of their past 24 Premier League games at home on a Saturday, against Arsenal in August (W18, D5).
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However, they've kept just six clean sheets in their past 37 home matches.
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Marcus Rashford has registered five assists since making his Villa debut in February; no Premier League player has more during that period.
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Youri Tielemans has started every Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League game for Villa this season and has been on the pitch for a total of 4,130 minutes, more than any other teammate.
Newcastle United
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Newcastle United have won six successive league and cup games, scoring 17 goals and conceding just three.
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The Magpies have accrued 27 away points this season, behind only Liverpool and Arsenal.
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Newcastle could register a ninth Premier League away victory of the season, a feat they've only achieved 23 years ago.
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They have won eight of their last 10 away matches in all competitions, losing the other two to Manchester City and Liverpool.
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Nick Pope is set to make his 75th Premier League appearance for the club.
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Jacob Murphy has been directly involved in 13 goals in his last 17 Premier League away games, with four goals and nine assists.