Alexander Isak strikes again as Newcastle ease past 10-man Aston Villa
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Newcastle United 3-0 Aston Villa: Jhon Duran’s first-half dismissal left the visitors with a mountain to climb. Alexander Isak struck for the 10th time in 10 Premier League games as Newcastle ripped 10-man Aston Villa apart to climb into the top five.
![[Alexander Isak (second right) scored just before the hour in Newcastle’s win (Owen Humphreys/PA)]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/12/26/17/9e1c91fa4465fbe4d4fac6ab5ecee503Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzM1MzE5MTQw-2.78570067.jpg)
Anthony Gordon had fired the hosts into a second-minute lead, but a tight game changed with Villa striker Jhon Duran’s first-half dismissal for stamping on defender Fabian Schar and Isak took full advantage with a second – 14 minutes after the break, his 12th goal of the season – before Joelinton cemented a 3-0 win at the death.
It might have been more on a day when the Magpies saw three further goals ruled out, while goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was in fine form, but he could not prevent the visitors from extending their miserable run without a win on Tyneside to 17 games in front of a crowd of 52,168.
The hosts got off to the perfect start with less than two minutes gone when Joelinton, back in the team after suspension, broke from his own half and fed Gordon on the left and saw him cut inside full-back Matty Cash before curling an unstoppable shot across Martinez.
A Villa side unchanged from their weekend victory over Manchester City eased their way into the game without ever threatening Martin Dubravka’s goal, but Gordon dragged a 12th-minute effort wide at the other end after exchanging passes with Isak as Newcastle continued to look the more dangerous.
Amadou Onana and Morgan Rogers, with support from full-backs Lucas Digne and Cash, helped to give Villa a foothold, and Dubravka had to make a solid save to keep out Digne’s 22nd-minute free-kick before Cash skied the rebound over from a tight angle.
