Fabian Schär double helps Newcastle end Aston Villa’s unbeaten home run

At the final whistle, Aston Villa and Newcastle both entered what has become rather foreign territory. Newcastle recorded only their second away win in the top flight this season and Villa succumbed to a first league defeat here in almost a year, since losing to Arsenal last February.

The only sour note for Newcastle, and it is potentially a big one, was the injury that forced Alexander Isak off a few minutes before the end of the first half, leaving Eddie Howe without a fit bona fide striker. Ollie Watkins registered his 50th Premier League goal for Aston Villa, becoming the third player to reach that tally after Gabby Agbonlahor and Dwight Yorke, but it was ultimately a deeply dispiriting outing. For Unai Emery’s side, it is now one win in five league games. Is their assault on the top four waning?

Newcastle ran out emphatic 5-1 winners when these sides met at the start of the season so Villa were well aware on the kind of damage Howe’s side are capable inflicting, even if his side had shown little of that threat away from St James’ Park this season, losing six of their previous seven away league matches. Before this trip, their sole away win in the top flight this campaign was their 8-0 dissection of Sheffield United at Bramall Lane in September, when eight different players got on the scoresheet.

One of those who didn’t strike that day, Fabian Schär, was the unusual source two Newcastle goals inside four first-half minutes. Both stemmed from Kieran Trippier corners, the first when Schär shook of Douglas Luiz to sidefoot in and the second when the defender reacted quickest to Anthony Gordon’s volley, which deflected off Clément Lenglet, bounced off the crossbar. Schär’s only other goal this season came in victory against Paris Saint-Germain.

Inside a minute, Newcastle’s plan to feast on the space behind Villa’s high back line was clear. Isak was flagged offside chasing a Schär pass and moments later the striker put a thumb up to acknowledge Bruno Guimarães’s lofted ball down the middle.

Emery seemed uncomfortable on the touchline and the fourth official, Michael Salisbury, had a tough task in getting the Villa manager to stick to the parameters of his technical area. Until John McGinn made a harsh but fair challenge on Gordon, the game – and indeed the atmosphere – seemed strangely flat. As with Villa’s 0-0 draw in the FA Cup fourth round at Chelsea on Friday, perhaps it is just a sign of the heightened expectations in these parts at the moment given their record under Emery. Howe certainly knows about that.

Emiliano Martínez spread himself to superbly thwart Gordon, who raced on to a Jacob Murphy pass and then twisted inside Ezri Konsa. A couple of minutes before Schär’s first goal, Lenglet made a desperate block to deny Isak after Martínez parried Murphy’s shot. Villa then flew forward on the counter, Martínez releasing McGinn. Douglas Luiz spotted Boubacar Kamara’s clever run into the box but Kamara could not get his teammate’s looped pass under his spell.

Isak’s pace caused problems but he was forced off through injury on 43 minutes, Miguel Almirón, who looks set to stay on Tyneside amid interest from the Saudi Pro League, replacing him. Up the other end, Matty Cash saw a relatively tame shot saved by Martin Dubravka and earlier Moussa Diaby elected to attempt to square the ball for Watkins when he probably should have been more selfish. Schär and Sven Botman were imperious in the heart of Newcastle’s defence.

Schär was a ubiquitous presence for Newcastle, scoring at one end and extinguishing danger at the other, making a vital clearance a few minutes into the second half. Even after Newcastle’s third goal, he ensured Diaby’s shot did not roll into an empty net after the Villa forward latched on to Watkins’s perfectly weighted pass and rounded Dubravka.

Almirón, too, is a reliable outlet for Newcastle and when he burned down the left flank and sent a teasing cross across the six-yard box, it spelled trouble for Villa. Murphy was waiting at the back post for a tap-in and while he did not connect cleanly with Almirón’s cross, his effort bobbling off both feet, it proved sufficient and Àlex Moreno collided with a post in a last-ditch attempt to keep the ball out.

Dubravka saved well from Cash after the substitute Leon Bailey swivelled clear of Dan Burn and Bailey was influential in Villa’s goal. McGinn located Bailey on the right and the Jamaican supplied Watkins, who converted his cross from close range. Villa Park erupted and Emery took a quick glance at the scoreboard. In other words: how long is left? Two minutes later Watkins, again fed by Bailey, thought he further reduced the deficit, only for the assistant referee, Lee Betts, to raise his flag. McGinn halted his celebrations and a VAR check confirmed Watkins strayed offside. Newcastle’s celebrations continued long into the night.