The last time I enjoyed a Boxing Day match this much was…

Merry Christmas everyone!

It was certainly a joyous time on Tyneside after three consecutive victories with no lack of style, razzle-dazzle and swagger and I was telling everyone who would listen that this was a great opportunity to extend that positive run.

Villa’s record here is atrocious, with their only two wins in the PL era coming when United had people sent off, with no less than four Mags seeing red cards in those defeats.

During the same period they had lost 18 games and drawn eight, so history was firmly on our side.

Perhaps more relevant was the dreadfully familiar look of a team tired from the exertions of a long Champions League campaign. Villa have had some fantastic nights and have every chance of progressing to the last 16, but are starting to show signs of slowing down in the Premier League, as the busy Christmas schedule takes greater toll on a team that likely lacks the depth to fight against everyone. facades. Like I said, familiar.

Winning today was extremely doable, especially if United maintained the relentless form of previous matches. The answer as to whether this would be the case came very quickly.

Sandro Tonali, outstanding again today, dispossessed Villa in midfield and the counter sent Joelinton heading towards goal with Villa’s terrified defenders agitated in his wake. It looked like Joe was going to shoot, but on the edge of the box he laid it off to Gordon in space. Gordon looked at his best during this recent sequence and his strike across goal and into the far corner was a classic from last season, with no chance for the World Cup-winning keeper. two minutes and it’s gone.

Speaking of looking like yourself, Martin Dubravka didn’t have to work too hard to be on course for a third straight clean sheet, but with Villa setting up a well-placed free kick, he did well passing and beating Digne. decent effort. Let’s hope the Slovak number one’s confidence continues to grow, whatever the conditions in the new year. Now apparently the fact that Jhon Duran refused to take that free kick caused him to have a minor tantrum, which may or may not have been a factor in later events.

Tonali’s imperious form has been key to our recent revival and it’s hard to beat him to be considered man of the match at the minute, but after taking a quick look at the contenders I’m a little shocked that Fabian Schar didn’t do it. at least got an honorable mention. When United won a promising free-kick, there was understandable enthusiasm for the return of Kieran Trippier. Instead, it was Schar who nearly extended the lead, shooting low and hard through the wall but failing to beat Martinez.

With Villa on the counter, Fab then shifted gears to demonstrate his defensive excellence, making up ground on Duran before producing a sublime sliding tackle to bring the ball to safety. With Schar pinned to the ground as a result of his efforts, Duran found himself marauding off-balance like the Tasmanian Devil. He lands heavily on his left foot before stretching his right foot out and planting it squarely into Fab’s lower back.

The reactions from Villa’s ridiculous fans and managers, citing this as inevitable momentum, are shocking, as Duran clearly had time to think about where to put his second foot and could have comfortably planted it on the opposite side of Schar . Emery went from publicly citing how Duran’s moody needs were kept in check, to choosing to ignore an implosion in a way that deliberately ignores the dangers of being punched in the spine. Duran deserved his red card and subsequent suspension, and he showed how misunderstood and poorly treated he is, by throwing a water bottle into the breath of a fat child as he walked away .

It was a complete game changer as United were in control, but you never feel completely comfortable at 1-0. The rest of the match was fish in a barrel as we attacked mercilessly against another team determined to play from the back and get completely exposed.

There were some terrific moments, like Joelinton’s attempted header, leaving Matty Cash a broken, crumpled heap of a man and Isak’s labyrinthine run down the touchline tying John McGinn in knots. A similar run from Isak on the opposite side then saw him pick out Joelinton to score, only for the flag to go up. Turns out Isak had executed it straight out of the game, although I bet somewhere Mikel Arteta was angry (funny). Bruno then brilliantly dispossessed the defense and played in Tonali, but Martinez was equal to his first effort, Villa lucky to go in at half-time still in play.

The second half was much the same. Martinez responded by smothering Isak’s shot, but the Swede was not to be denied his seventh goal in five games. Bruno’s outside-footed ball to play Murphy in behind was utter filth, and yet another involvement in Murphy’s goal as he slid it in to present Isak with a shot. Two zero was a real colonist, because you can get nervous at 1-0 against ten men.

Villa got away with it today because it should have been a bigger spanking than last year. Isak had his second disallowed for a narrow offside, ensuring he was level with the last defender but appearing to miss the fact that Martinez had moved in front of him. Then Bruno was robbed of the goal his performance deserved, with Hall’s ball into the box creating havoc that ended with Konsa blasting it over Bruno and into the goal. Replays show it hit his elbow, but the fact it was then deflected towards Digne should have seen the goal stand for me.

The number three, however, arrived in stoppage time, our other Brazilian having this time benefited from sloppy play from Villa. Onana’s tired pass out of defense went straight to Joelinton and he advanced, before hitting an effort into the top corner with such power and precision that Martinez didn’t even move.

I think the last time I enjoyed a Boxing Day match this much was around 2001, when Bobby Robson’s table players knocked out Boro by the same scoreline. United completely dominated and things got better after the game, with just about every other result falling just right to catapult us into that potential fifth place in the Champions League.

Coming home to see our next opponents lose two key players to suspension while once again demonstrating how terrible they are, was a nice icing on the cake. Victory at Old Trafford awaits us, if we can treat the other team like the coffee table mess they are, as opposed to the mighty Man Utd they once were. The arrogance and brazenness of last year’s League Cup victory please, not showing too much respect like last season’s poor league performance.

This is shaping up to be a wonderful end to 2024, let’s continue this momentum and maybe 2025 will be the big year. HWTL.

Newcastle 3 Aston Villa 0 – Thursday December 26, 3 p.m.

(Stats via BBC Sport)

Goals:

Newcastle United:

Gordon 2, Isak 59, Joelinton 90+1

Villa:

Red card for Duran 32

(Half-time stats in parentheses)

Possession was Newcastle 63% (62%) Villa 37% (38%)

Total number of shots were Newcastle 22 (9) Villa 4 (3)

Shots on target were Newcastle 8 (4) Villa 1 (1)

Corners were Newcastle 9 (3) Villa 6 (2)

Keys in the box Newcastle 49 (20) Villa 9 (3)

Newcastle United team vs Aston Villa:

Dubravka, Trippier (Targett 73), Schar, Burn, Hall, Tonali, Bruno (Miley 90+3), Joelinton, Murphy (Barnes 79), Isak (Osula 90+3), Gordon (Willock 79)

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(Newcastle 3 Aston Villa 0 – Instant reaction from Newcastle United fans/writers – Read HERE)

(Newcastle 3 Aston Villa 0 – United once again outclass the Villans at St James’ Park – Read HERE)

Newcastle United’s next matches:

Monday December 30 – Man U v Newcastle (8 p.m.) Sky Sports

Saturday January 4 – Tottenham v Newcastle (12:30 p.m.) TNT Sports

Tuesday January 7 – Arsenal v Newcastle (8 p.m.) Sky Sports and ITV1 and ITVX

Sunday January 12 – Newcastle v Bromley (3:00 p.m.) BBC iPlayer (FA Cup)

Wednesday January 15 – Newcastle vs Wolves (7:30 p.m.) TNT Sports

Saturday January 18 – Newcastle v Bournemouth (12:30 p.m.) TNT Sports

Saturday January 25 – Southampton v Newcastle (3 p.m.)

Saturday February 1st – Newcastle v Fulham (3 p.m.)

Wednesday February 5 – Newcastle v Arsenal (8 p.m.) Sky Sports

Saturday February 15 – Man City v Newcastle (3 p.m.)

Sunday February 23 – Newcastle v Forest (2:00 p.m.) Sky Sports