Of all the Premier League fixtures that are set to kickstart the new season, few games boast as much history as Newcastle United’s clash with Aston Villa.
Two absolute heavyweights of English football clash in what promises to be one of their most electric curtain-raisers in recent history, making it no surprise that it has been shifted for TV scheduling.
Fans can look forward to a much-anticipated 5.30pm kick-off on Saturday 12th August, knowing how important a win could be in realising the long-term ambitions of these evolving clubs.
Both secured European football against all the odds last term, and with that to contend with as well as a continued challenge in the league, it will be a juggling act for Eddie Howe and Unai Emery.
Although, with a host of new faces only adding to the excitement building around this clash, every facet of this game suggests it will be a thriller. The only hope is that those stars can treat the fans to such a delight after a busy day of fixtures before it.
Ahead of the game, Football FanCast takes a look at the head-to-head records between the teams.
Newcastle United vs Aston Villa: Who has the better head-to-head record?
Despite Aston Villa enjoying a history more laden with silverware, it is actually the Magpies who have enjoyed more success when the two have faced one another.
Their tumultuous history of failed title challenges and relegation has made them a tricky club to contend with, but their unrelenting support has remained throughout. A winless period for the Midlands club in the 2010s, which will be touched upon later, likely helped emphasise this gulf.
As such, they have enjoyed 14 more wins over the Villans, with the spoils having been shared on 39 occasions too.
Newcastle wins: 73 Draws: 40 Aston Villa wins: 58 Newcastle United vs Aston Villa: Who has more wins at St James’ Park?
The home advantage that St James' Park offers is showcased dramatically in the data, as Newcastle United have recorded a mammoth 52 victories when welcoming Aston Villa to Tyneside.
Just 14 wins on the road emphasise this dominance, with the fear factor that this football-crazed city brings on full show.
Given that Champions League football is finally set to return to this cathedral of football, that atmosphere is only certain to improve in the coming years.
Newcastle wins: 52 Draws: 19 Aston Villa wins: 14 Newcastle United vs Aston Villa: Who has more wins at Villa Park?
Although the disparity is not quite as dramatic when venturing up to Newcastle, Aston Villa unsurprisingly enjoy far greater success when backed by their own home support.
As one of the most iconic grounds in the country, with splendid stain-glassed windows to further showcase its uniqueness, an equally impressive reception comes with playing at this ground.
As such, the home side has triumphed on 25 more occasions, though they will have to battle to retain such a record as the Magpies continue to develop under their new ownership.
Aston Villa wins: 43 Draws: 21 Newcastle wins: 20 Newcastle United vs Aston Villa: Who has the better cup record?
As two of the most famous and successful clubs in English football history, it is no surprise that the two have enjoyed some famous cup battles against one another. However, with regard to domestic honours, it is Aston Villa who come out on top.
Their tally of seven FA Cups and five EFL Cups dwarfs that of their opening-day opponents, who despite winning the FA Cup on five occasions, are yet to win the latter. They came close last season, but were thwarted in the final by rivals Manchester United.
This dominance shows up in their head-to-head clashes within cup competitions, with the Villans recording two more victories over the Magpies, having last met in the 3rd round of the FA Cup back in 2000/01.
Newcastle United wins: 2 Draws: 1 Aston Villa wins: 4 Newcastle United vs Aston Villa: What were the last 5 meetings?
15th April 2023 – Aston Villa 3-0 Newcastle United: As both sides sought to make their unlikely pushes for European football a reality, two of the most in-form teams in the Premier League clashed at Villa Park.
However, stunning the visitors, Emery unleashed a masterclass on Newcastle United as Jacob Ramsey's opener and Ollie Watkins' brace resigned Howe to a crushing defeat. Both sides would still finish in European spots.
29th October 2022 – Newcastle United 4-0 Aston Villa: Having sacked Steven Gerrard after a torrid run of form, caretaker boss Aaron Danks was handed the unenviable task of taking his side to one of the toughest grounds in the country.
The result almost seemed a formality, and although it took 45 minutes for the first goal to come, a further three would follow. Miguel Almiron would continue his fantastic start to the season with another goal.
13th February 2022 – Newcastle United 1-0 Aston Villa: Despite the upturn in form Gerrard’s appointment had initially brought, it proved no match for the similarly impressive job that Howe would complete in securing their survival.
It was Kieran Trippier’s powerful deflected free kick that separated the sides, and despite Ollie Watkins heading home an equaliser, it was ruled out for offside.
21st August 2021 – Aston Villa 2-0 Newcastle United: With a renewed sense of hope surrounding Villa Park, Danny Ings lit up his new home on what was his first appearance in the stadium. As an innocuous ball floated up in the air, an acrobatic bicycle kick sent fans into raptures. Anwar El Ghazi’s penalty later in the game would seal up the three points.
12th March 2021 – Newcastle United 1-1 Aston Villa: In what was a largely mundane encounter on Tyneside, the final five minutes saw the clash explode into life.
Ollie Watkins’ header struck Ciaran Clark to hand Aston Villa the lead before Newcastle United's Jamaal Lascelles rescued a point with a late header of his own. This put the Magpies just two points from the relegation zone, although they would comfortably avoid the drop in the end.
Who has played for Newcastle United and Aston Villa?
James Milner (Newcastle United 2004-2008; Aston Villa 2008-2010): A true staple of modern English football, this 37-year-old workhorse has been all around the block.
Capitalising on Leeds United’s financial troubles, Newcastle first snagged him from his boyhood club. Slowly integrating at first, a loan to Aston Villa helped kickstart his career on Tyneside before he moved to Villa Park permanently.
There, he would win the PFA Young Player of the Year award before a mouth-watering bid from the up-and-coming Manchester City forced another sale.
David Ginola (Newcastle United 1995-1997; Aston Villa 2000-2002): Having shone for Paris Saint-Germain, it was expected that his exit would invoke the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona in the market.
However, as Kevin Keegan sought to turn Newcastle United into their own powerhouse, he offered a strong financial incentive to tempt the wizard to Tyneside. The Frenchman starred as they failed in their attempt for the title.
Leaving for Tottenham Hotspur, and subsequently winning PFA Player of the Year, he was reluctantly sold to Aston Villa. His time in the Midlands was marred by a dispute with manager John Gregory and a two-match ban he would receive for stamping on an opposition player.
Shay Given (Newcastle United 1997-2009; Aston Villa 2011-2015): Struggling to break through at a title-winning Blackburn Rovers side, Given would move to Newcastle United as part of Kenny Dalglish’s revolution.
Over a decade later, he had made 463 appearances, having challenged for numerous elite honours with little success.
Leaving despite being just 34 games away from breaking the club’s appearance record, a two-year stint at Manchester City saw him eventually join up at Villa Park. He would even enjoy a stint as temporary assistant, whilst starring as his side reached the 2015 FA Cup final.
Nolberto Solano (Newcastle United 1998-2004, 2005-2007; Aston Villa 2004-2005): Moving to Tyneside from Boca Juniors, Nolberto ‘Nobby’ Solano became the first Peruvian player to play in England.
He was a fan favourite around St James’ Park, even describing himself as an “adopted Geordie”. Despite that, he enjoyed a one-year hiatus in the Midlands after his relationship with Bobby Robson had soured, finishing that season as their top scorer.
Despite that, he would relish the opportunity to return to his favoured club in 2005.
What is Newcastle United’s biggest victory over Aston Villa?
22nd August 2010 – Newcastle United 6-0 Aston Villa – In what was just the second game of this Premier League campaign, the Magpies ran riot in front of a thrilled St James' Park.
Joey Barton would hand them an early lead before Andy Carroll stole the show with his stunning hat trick. One BBC report even stated he had performed "reminiscent of former Magpies number nine Alan Shearer in his pomp." He would leave for Liverpool in a £35m move just six months later.
What is Aston Villa’s biggest victory over Newcastle United?
29th November 1902 – Aston Villa 7-0 Newcastle United – In front of just 10,000 fans at Villa Park, this rampant pre-wartime side put the Magpies to the sword with their biggest win in over three years.
Goals were spread out amongst the team, but Joe Bache and George Johnson's braces stood out amongst Bobby Templeton and Alex Leake's strikes.
Aston Villa would finish second this campaign, missing out on the title by just one point.
Key match stats
This will be the 172nd meeting between these two teams. Between 2011 and 2019, Aston Villa failed to register a single victory against Newcastle United, home or away. Whilst the highest-scoring match in Premier League history is Portsmouth’s 7-4 win over Reading, a Division One clash back in 1928 saw these sides play out a 7-5 thriller in which Aston Villa came out on top. Newcastle United vs Aston Villa: Classic meetings
30th September 1996 – Newcastle United 4-3 Aston Villa (Premier League): Just one year after Kevin Keegan’s infamous “I would love it if we beat them” rant, the Magpies were once again pushing for the title.
However, a stubborn visiting Villa side would pose an early threat to that, as Dwight Yorke’s hat-trick forced them to their limits.
A Les Ferdinand brace and goals from Alan Shearer and Steve Howey saw them edge this contest, but again fall short of Manchester United in the race for the league.
28th August 2004 – Aston Villa 4-2 Newcastle United (Premier League): During a campaign in which both sides finished comfortably in mid-table, these two heavyweights put on quite the show at Villa Park as goals were exchanged freely.
When Olof Mellberg had the hosts in front after four minutes, the visitors likely expected the worst. However, Patrick Kluivert and Andy O’Brien were on hand to have the Magpies ahead at the break.
A second-half collapse saw the game shift once again, as Carlton Cole, Gareth Barry and Juan Pablo Angel all scored for Villa to compound a crushing victory.
