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Manzambi Header Gives Aston Villa 1-0 Win at Newcastle

Johan Manzambi headed the only goal in the 36th minute as Aston Villa beat Newcastle United 1-0 at St James' Park, a second straight league defeat for the hosts.

By Orbit Post2 min read
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Manzambi Header Gives Aston Villa 1-0 Win at Newcastle
Photo: Arne Müseler, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Newcastle_st-james-park_stadium.jpg)

Key points

  • Aston Villa beat Newcastle United 1-0 at St James' Park on Saturday, with Johan Manzambi's first half header settling a tight Matchday 7 game.
  • Manzambi scored in the 36th minute.
  • Villa nearly doubled the lead two minutes later.

Aston Villa beat Newcastle United 1-0 at St James' Park on Saturday, with Johan Manzambi's first half header settling a tight Matchday 7 game.

Manzambi scored in the 36th minute. Joao Gomes lifted a cross into the box and the Swiss midfielder pulled away from Lewis Miley to head inside the near post of goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek. It was Manzambi's second goal of the week. He also scored in Villa's midweek European win over Fenerbahce.

Villa nearly doubled the lead two minutes later. Emiliano Buendia rattled the post with a shot, and Newcastle were glad to reach half time only one goal down. The home crowd booed the team off at the break.

Botman survives the red card check

The game's sharpest argument came in the first half. Sven Botman caught Nicolas Jackson with a heavy challenge and took a yellow card. A VAR check looked at a possible red card, and the yellow card stood. Sky Sports pundits Jamie Redknapp and Shay Given both said at half time that Botman should have been sent off.

Jackson caused Newcastle problems all evening. He drove into the box on one counterattack and sent a tame shot at Hornicek, and his running stretched a home defence that has now gone 16 Premier League matches without a clean sheet.

Newcastle push and run out of ideas

Newcastle pressed after half time but created little that was clear. Villa goalkeeper Zion Suzuki stretched to keep out a Botman header in the 48th minute. Yoane Wissa headed wide from a cross in the 64th minute, and substitutes Bazoumana Toure and Will Osula added energy without adding a finish.

Villa had chances to finish the game. Ross Barkley, on as a substitute, drove at goal in the 73rd minute and forced a save from Hornicek. Leon Goretzka made his Premier League debut for Villa off the bench. Villa lost Aaron Wan-Bissaka to injury late on. He was helped off and Pau Torres replaced him.

What it means

Newcastle came into the game 11th and Villa 17th, and the result reads worse for the hosts. Newcastle lost 4-1 at Coventry on Monday, so this is a second straight league defeat, and the defensive run is now the story of their season. Villa, who had struggled for results, take three points from one of the hardest away grounds in the league and give their season a firmer base.

Newcastle fielded an unchanged team from the Coventry defeat. Villa move on with Manzambi in form and a clean sheet earned the hard way, by defending a one goal lead for close to an hour.

Sources