Aston Villa manager Dean Smith will serve a touchline ban tonight.

Smith, 49, was charged by the Football Association for using abusive and/or insulting language towards a match official after he was sent off in Wednesday's defeat by Manchester City.

"I will reluctantly accept it," said Smith on Friday. "I will accept the charge of insulting the officials. I certainly didn't abuse them and that will be the end of the matter."

Smith was also fined £8,000 by the FA.

Make that 1-1.

With just over 10 minutes to go League Two side Cheltenham are beating Manchester City.

I would take no offence whatsoever if you headed over here to watch that one.

Newcastle United

When Steve Bruce found his inner Frank Sinatra last week and declared that from now on he was going to do it "my way", he probably did not have a 3-0 defeat at Arsenal in mind.

The statement also raised the question of, if not his way, then whose method have Newcastle been following given Bruce has been in charge for 18 months.

Perhaps Bruce's words were designed to provoke a response from his players, but Monday's loss extended a winless run to nine games and they have only scored once in their past seven.

The 60-year-old said the "gloves would come off" , externalbefore his team's trip to Emirates Stadium, but as his players trudged off at the end, they might seek their safety blankets again.

Newcastle are currently seven points clear of the relegation zone, but with pressure from supporters increasing are there signs a new approach will work?

Image source, BBC Sport

Callum Wilson on the wing? I'm not 100% sold on that but again, it's not the most attacking line-up you've ever seen is it?

Aston Villa: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett, Douglas Luiz, Nakamba, Traore, Barkley, Grealish, Watkins. Subs: Heaton, Taylor, Trezeguet, El Ghazi, Engels, Guilbert, Elmohamady, Davis, Ramsey.

Newcastle: Darlow, Manquillo, Schar, Lascelles, Lewis, Almiron, Shelvey, Hayden, Hendrick, Wilson, Carroll. Subs: Dubravka, Matthew Longstaff, Joelinton, Saint-Maximin, Ritchie, Gayle, Krafth, Fraser, Murphy.

Referee: Simon Hooper (Wiltshire)

Image source, BBC Sport

It's nine games without a win in all competitions for Steve Bruce and Newcastle. A turgid run.

Can he get back to winning ways on familiar turf tonight?

Aston Villa

Aston Villa's John McGinn serves a one-match ban after accumulating five bookings so Marvelous Nakamba comes in. That's the only change from the side beaten by Manchester City.

Newcastle make four alterations - in come Fabian Schar, Isaac Hayden, Jeff Hendrick and Javier Manquillo.

Allan Saint-Maximin is back but only on the bench.

Another Premier League game? Why not, we'll squeeze one in.

Win this and Aston Villa will go above Chelsea, while Newcastle really need a performance to appease the fans.