Newcastle vs. Aston Villa: Winners and Losers from Premier League
Newcastle United and Aston Villa played to a 1-1 draw at a rain-soaked St. James' Park on Saturday in the Premier League.
Fabricio Coloccini fired the hosts into a 38th-minute lead, but Villa improved in the second half and equalized through Jordan Ayew's spectacular strike just past the hour mark.
The result leaves Newcastle in 17th place with 17 points, while Villa are last with seven points.
Winner: Jordan Ayew
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Aston Villa needed a moment of class. Trailing by a goal at halftime, Remi Garde's men appeared bereft of confidence and unable to turn their promising second-half start into an equalizer.
But then Jordan Ayew provided the spark of inspiration in the 61st minute with a goal of the highest quality. After bringing down a high ball with impressive ease, Ayew took a touch away from goal before turning and rifling an unstoppable shot past Rob Elliot.
Ayew then inspired Villa over the next several minutes, creating consistent danger with crosses from the right flank toward substitute Rudy Gestede, whose introduction was a turning point for the visitors. The improved second-half performance didn't give Villa a win, but Ayew did enough to secure a point.
"One point is better than nothing," Ayew told Sky Sports (h/t BBC Sport). "If we play like we did in the second half then we will win games. I think I scored one of my best goals."
Loser and Winner: Fabricio Coloccini
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Newcastle captain Fabricio Coloccini had a busy match, scoring a goal in the first half before trying—and failing—to contain Jordan Ayew after the break.
The goal came in the 38th minute as Villa failed to clear a corner. The ball bounced to Coloccini, who bundled in off the hands of Brad Guzan. It was by no means a beautiful strike, but it did cap a solid first-half performance that saw Coloccini win all his aerial challenges and make three interceptions, per Squawka.
After the break, Coloccini didn't fare so well. When Rudy Gestede entered as a substitute, Ayew began to play more on the wing. Mounting attack after attack, Ayew blew past Coloccini with alarming ease. The duel was so one-sided that it was somewhat surprising Villa didn't score again.
Coloccini's wildly varying performance summed up Newcastle on the day—and in the larger picture. The Magpies are capable of playing good football, but their inconsistency holds them back too often.
Loser: Newcastle's Misses
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Aston Villa's improved second-half showing meant a draw was a fair result, but Newcastle will rue a pair of missed chances.
In the 57th minute, Siem De Jong nodded off target from an unmarked position at the back post following a Georginio Wijnaldum cross. In stoppage time, Moussa Sissoko burst down the right and teed up Ayoze Perez with a pullback, but Perez hooked his shot over the bar from 12 yards.
On both occasions, Newcastle should have at least registered a shot on target. For a Premier League side, those two chances should have been enough to score a second goal.
"Another day and you take those chances," Newcastle boss Steve McClaren told Sky Sports (h/t BBC Sport). "They were difficult, difficult conditions."
Loser: Brad Guzan
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Conditions at St. James' Park were poor, especially in the first half. The saturated pitch affected both teams' passing, and the driving rain made visibility poor.
But even in such difficult circumstances, Brad Guzan should have done better on Newcastle's goal. In the 38th minute, a corner bounced through the box to Fabricio Coloccini, who bundled a shot on target.
Guzan moved to his left and had a chance to keep the ball out, but he only helped it into the goal instead.
Loser: Relegation Trouble
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Despite fighting back for a creditable draw away from home, Aston Villa remain in deep trouble. Through 17 matches, Villa have claimed just seven points and are 10 points from safety.
Villa will spend Christmas Day in last place, which is a near-death sentence in this league. In 20 of the Premier League's 23 seasons, the team at the bottom of the table on Christmas has been relegated at the end of the season.
Perhaps Villa can take hope from the fact that Leicester City and Sunderland bucked the trend in each of the last two seasons. But Remy Garde and his players have a massive gap to close, and Villa's long run in the top flight is in serious jeopardy.
Newcastle, meanwhile, are still only three points above the drop zone. The Magpies are unbeaten in three league matches but would breathe much easier with a little more room between them and Swansea City.
Both teams face a struggle to survive in 2016.
