LONDON -
The home side won 3-0 at St James' Park with goals from Anthony Gordon, Alexander Isak and Joelinton, while Jhon Duran was sent off for the visitors who crashed to a fifth straight away defeat.
Victory in the last home game of the year moved Newcastle up to fifth on 29 points - ahead of Bournemouth on goal difference while Villa fell to ninth, a point behind Howe's side.
In their quest to return to the top four and the Champions League, Newcastle are in a purple patch of form with three straight league wins, scoring 11 goals and keeping three clean sheets in the process.
They got off to a great start in the second minute when they won the ball back in midfield before Joelinton found Gordon on the left, where he curled a shot past Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez into the top corner.
This story is from the December 28, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
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This story is from the December 28, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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