Newcastle demonstrated how united they are without Alexander Isak but also how much they miss his goals. Despite dominating this match, before and after Ezri Konsa was sent off for Aston Villa, Eddie Howe’s team had to settle for a draw against the side they pipped for a Champions League place on goal difference.
The travelling fans’ chant – saved until after the final whistle – that “There’s only one greedy bastard” may, numerically speaking, be a moot claim in modern football but you got their point.
Still hoping to buy Yoane Wissa from Brentford and having let the veteran Callum Wilson leave on a free to West Ham, Newcastle played three wingers across their frontline and only brought on Will Osula, the one striker in their squad, in the 90th minute.
Villa, whose fans vented their frustration at the Premier League throughout the game for the profitability and sustainability rules (PSR) that mean they cannot spend more than €5m net this season, survived Newcastle’s intense start to defend manfully, not least when a player down, and earn their point.
Anthony Gordon played down the middle for Newcastle while Harvey Barnes provided several superb passes from the left wing and Anthony Elanga, on his debut on the other flank after a £55m move from Nottingham Forest, missed the best chance of the game in the third minute but was a sharp threat throughout.
Howe, who maintained a rapprochement with Isak is possible “but there’s only one person really that can control it”, was heartened by his team’s showing. “We were everything that we’d want to be in that first period, in terms of dominance,” the Newcastle manager said. “I felt just the goals were missing, which is unfortunate timing, really, from our perspective, but I couldn’t be prouder of the group.”
He praised Gordon who, he said, enjoys playing centrally. “He was a consistent threat,” he said. “He induced the red card by his pace and his running ability. So there’s no slight on him whatsoever. I thought he was very good. But we have to score goals from different areas – and we always have to: that’s the midfield, our wide men, whether they’re from set plays, so we’ve got to find a way to add goals too.
“Of course, you’re going to miss someone that scored the goals that Alex has: not just the goals, but the calibre of player that he is. So we’re not silly enough to think any different, but we just have to look at the players that are here and what they’ve given today. It would be very easy for the players to have a feeling of negativity going into the game or an excuse. But there was no sign of that. So that’s why I’m so pleased with everybody.”
Whether Liverpool return with a bid closer to Newcastle’s £150m valuation or Isak changes his mind and seeks to return to the squad at the end of the transfer window, Howe would like to know what cards he is playing with this season. “We would like a resolution,” he said. “Any Premier League season could be hard enough, you don’t need any kind of distraction, to unbalance what we’re doing.”
Villa are about to ease their PSR concerns by selling the homegrown Jacob Ramsey to these opponents for an initial £39m, but have been restricted to signing backups, in Evann Guessand, the £26m Ivory Coast striker, and Marco Bizot, the Dutch goalkeeper who enjoyed a superb debut as he deputised for the suspended Emi Martínez.
Villa’s regular custodian was sent off on the final day of last season when their defeat at Manchester United allowed Newcastle to claim the Premier League’s final Champions League place.
Bizot saved superbly from Elanga, when he was sent clear by Sandro Tonali early on, and again from Gordon’s 20-yard blast as Newcastle totally dominated the first half. Villa’s expected goals at the interval was zero. Unai Emery praised his new goalkeeper, signed from Brest for an undisclosed fee. “I think his first save was giving him confidence,” the Villa manager said. “I am so happy because today we needed him and he did a fantastic new job.”
It’s not that Villa were especially poor, just that Newcastle had such greater intensity. “This is the level we must meet,” Emery said.
Villa started the second half higher and brighter, and Boubacar Kamara headed John McGinn’s right-wing cross straight at Nick Pope.
Then, with Villa finally territorially dominant, Elanga received the ball and, as Gordon timed his acceleration perfectly and his direction of travel even better, Konsa grappled Newcastle’s No 10 to merit his dismissal.
Thereafter, this resembled a training game of attack versus defence. In those terms, Villa won. At least both teams have something from which they can build, whatever the vagaries of the transfer market.
