Summary

  • Listen to commentary on Radio 5 Live and this page

  • FT: Aston Villa 2-0 Newcastle - Watkins header opens scoring

  • Traore doubles lead with side-footed finish

  • Newcastle have lost last four matches in a row

  • Villa will move into top 10 with win

Live Reporting

Tom Rostance

  1. Aston Villa 1-0 Newcastle

    Chris Waddle
    Ex-Newcastle and England winger on BBC Radio 5 Live

    Is a brave finish by Ollie Watkins, although Karl Darlow should have done better. I think he should have gone through everything there.

    Steve Bruce has got to change the shape, I know it's early but there is no width. The wing backs cannot do both jobs

  2. Aston Villa 1-0 Newcastle

    Villa popping it around with ease now. Again they come down their left, Jack Grealish powers into the area and he's stopped by a good tackle.

  3. Aston Villa 1-0 Newcastle

    The Steve Bruce containment gameplan may well need to go out of the window now.

  4. Get Involved

    #bbcfootball or text 81111 (UK only)

    Chris Waddle saying Steve Bruce needs time to change the style he inherited from Rafa Benitez. He's been there 18 months! This is Steve Bruce's team, also with £100m worth of new players since Benitez left.

    Keith in Bath

  5. goal

    GOAL - Aston Villa 1-0 Newcastle

    Ollie Watkins (13 mins)

    Another cross from the left does the damage! Matt Targett whips it in again, Fabian Schar slides in and gets a touch on the ball but can only lob it up into air and Ollie Watkins beats Karl Darlow to it and heads in.

    Was he offside? It's close but there's no VAR check and the goal stands.

  6. Aston Villa 0-0 Newcastle

    Great ball in by Matt Targett from the Villa left, a superb delivery and Ollie Watkins on the stretch is close to meeting it. The home side building up a head of steam.

  7. Aston Villa 0-0 Newcastle

    A lovely improvised backheeled flick from Ross Barkley almost sends Ollie Watkins in behind the backline but it's well swept up.

  8. Two top number ones

    Aston Villa 0-0 Newcastle

    Chris Waddle
    Ex-Newcastle and England winger on BBC Radio 5 Live

    Emiliano Martinez has been brilliant since he put the Villa shirt on, he's a presence, anything in the box he comes for while Karl Darlow, since being given his chance, hasn't looked back either.

  9. Aston Villa 0-0 Newcastle

    Villa starting to dictate play in midfield now, Ross Barkley seeing plenty of the ball. Bertrand Traore runs into the box but Miguel Almiron, playing as a wing-back, makes a good tackle.

  10. Aston Villa 0-0 Newcastle

    Good strike! Villa win a corner and play it short, it's eventually whipped in and headed out to Matt Targett in the D, the Villa left-back catches his shot really sweetly on the bounce but it's straight at Karl Darlow.

  11. Aston Villa 0-0 Newcastle

    Alistair Magowan
    BBC Sport at Villa Park

    Looks like Newcastle are lining up with a back five, but in a 5-3-2, with Jonjo Shelvey and Miguel Almiron either side of Jeff Hendrick in midfield, so it looks attacking.

    Andy Carroll and Callum Wilson are up top.

  12. Aston Villa 0-0 Newcastle

    Miguel Almiron has the first shot of the night from the edge of the area but he doesn't get hold of it.

  13. Aston Villa 0-0 Newcastle

    Actually Callum Wilson is up front, it's a 5-3-2.

  14. Aston Villa 0-0 Newcastle

    Callum Wilson has indeed started wide on the Newcastle left. And it is a back five.

  15. KICK-OFF

    Aston Villa 0-0 Newcastle

    And we're off.

  16. Aston Villa v Newcastle (20:00 GMT)

    Newcastle in a snazzy away kit tonight, sort of triangles in a purple on black. Dean Smith is shown to his safe zone up in the stands - he's banned tonight remember.

  17. Aston Villa v Newcastle (20:00 GMT)

    Here come the sides. Shall we?

  18. Get Involved

    #bbcfootball or text 81111 (UK only)

    Newcastle fans are the most deluded in all of football. What do they expect?! It's like me taking my Ford Fiesta in for its service and being outraged it's not turned into a Mustang when I collect it.

    Josh in Bristol

  19. 'Bruce inherited a defensive side'

    Aston Villa v Newcastle (20:00 GMT)

    Chris Waddle
    Ex-Tottenham and England winger on BBC Radio 5 Live

    It's very hard to change the mentality and structure of this [Newcastle] side. Rafa Benitez played identical football, as a counter-attacking side who bring teams on to them and break.

    Steve Bruce wanted to play attacking football from the start but realised the players were set in their ways. They've got five wingers on the bench - Krafth is the only defender on the bench.

    The problem Newcastle have got is keeping the football, that's what frustrates the fans and Steve Bruce. In his defence, he inherited a defensive side and has found it hard to change that.

    The fans want to see the old Newcastle - try to get it down, play on the ball and attack.

  20. Speaking of Rafa...