Newcastle vs Aston Villa predicted XIs: Confirmed team news and probable line-ups | OneFootball

Two teams with European ambitions meet at St James’ Park on Boxing Day as Newcastle United host Aston Villa in a 3pm kick-off.

There has been an inconsistency to both teams this season, but there is plenty to play for with eighth-placed Newcastle, two points and two places behind the visitors in the Premier League.

Newcastle vs Aston Villa Predicted XIs

Predicted XIs:

Newcastle: First-choice goalkeeper Nick Pope remains sidelined, while Emil Krafth and Jamaal Lascelles are longer-term absentees. Joelinton returns from suspension and Sven Botman could be back in the squad as he works his way back from an ACL injury suffered in March.

Team News:

Newcastle have not won three league matches in a row this season and Eddie Howe will be demanding they keep up their intensity following successive 4-0 wins over Leicester and Ipswich.

On the two previous occasions when Newcastle had won back-to-back in the Premier League, they suffered defeats, going down 3-1 at Fulham and losing 2-0 at home to West Ham.

The Hammers setback was particularly a shock as Newcastle tend to be strong at St James’ Park. They have already beaten Tottenham and Arsenal in the Premier League on Tyneside this term and drawn with Manchester City and Liverpool, as well as beating Chelsea 2-0 in the Carabao Cup.

Villa know only too well how tough it can be to stay strong in front of the Toon Army as they lost 5-1 at Newcastle last season and also went down 3-1 at home to the Magpies.

It was 4-0 to Newcastle the season before and Villa have tended to have a miserable time on their trips up to St James’ with Juan Pablo Angel and Gareth Barry (twice) on target the last time they won at the venue in 2005.

That match was infamous for Newcastle seeing three players sent off, including Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer, who were dismissed for fighting each other.

Villa are unlikely to receive that kind of Christmas gift this season but they head into the festive period in fine fettle themselves after winning three of their last four matches, including a 2-1 triumph over champions Manchester City on Saturday.

Villa have kept only one clean sheet in their last 16 away matches and their vulnerable defence will be tested by Newcastle star Alexander Isak.

The Swedish striker scored twice in the corresponding fixture last term and is back to his best in this campaign following a slow start to the season.

Isak scored in only one of his first seven league games, but he is now up to 10 in the Premier League after notching in each of his last four league outings. He was sublime on Saturday, scoring a hat-trick against Ipswich and is being linked with Europe’s biggest clubs.

Villa have their own hotshot in Jhon Duran, who has scored in his last four games and he has broken the deadlock in his last three Premier League starts, justifying Unai Emery’s faith in replacing Ollie Watkins with the Colombian.