Newcastle United were left frustrated at Villa Park on Saturday as they failed to break down a 10-man Aston Villa side in a goalless stalemate, with the absence of Alexander Isak looming large.
The Swedish striker, who is pushing for a transfer to Liverpool, was left out of the squad, forcing Eddie Howe to adjust his frontline.
Despite dominating large spells of the match, Newcastle could not find the finishing touch needed to turn pressure into points.
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The Magpies looked sharp in the opening half and created the clearer chances.
Newcastle were held to a 0-0 draw by 10-man Newcastle on Saturday, with Eddie Howe's side unable to find the breakthrough despite having a player more following Ezri Konsa's red card
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Just three minutes in, new £55million signing Anthony Elanga almost made a dream start, but Villa debutant Marco Bizot produced a fine stop to deny him.
Anthony Gordon then squandered an even better opportunity, nodding a free header over from close range.
Gordon, deployed centrally in Isak’s absence, carried much of the attacking threat and again forced Bizot into action before the break.
Yet Newcastle’s superiority went unrewarded, with their lack of a cutting edge once again highlighted.
Aston Villa, by contrast, offered next to nothing in the first 45 minutes.
They became the first home team to fail to muster a single attempt in the opening half of a Premier League match since Fulham against Manchester City in May 2024.
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Ezri Konsa was frustrated after being sent off for Aston Villa against Newcastle | PAAfter the restart, however, Unai Emery’s side showed more intent.
Boubacar Kamara headed straight at Nick Pope, and Ollie Watkins tested the Newcastle keeper from distance as Villa briefly threatened to tilt the momentum.
That shift ended abruptly in the 66th minute when Ezri Konsa was shown a red card.
The defender hauled down Gordon as the forward broke clear on goal, leaving referee Craig Pawson with little choice but to dismiss him.
From there, Villa’s focus turned solely to survival.
Despite having the numerical advantage for the final 24 minutes plus added time, Newcastle could not capitalise.
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Newcastle star Anthony Elanga looked bright against Aston Villa but couldn't find a breakthrough
|PA
Crosses flashed across the box without a decisive touch, and Villa’s rearguard, marshalled by Pau Torres, stood firm to secure a point.
For Howe’s men, the stalemate felt like a missed opportunity, particularly given Villa’s struggles and the circumstances of Konsa’s dismissal. The absence of Isak, their most reliable finisher, was telling, with speculation over his future continuing to cast a shadow over the squad.
Villa, meanwhile, will take encouragement from their resilience. Having looked flat and toothless before the break, they showed grit in the second half to ensure they avoided defeat despite playing nearly half an hour a man down.