ST JAMES’ PARK — Suddenly it feels as if Eddie Howe has cracked the code.
This defeat of Aston Villa was a fourth straight victory and the most impressive of the series, arriving against a fellow Champions League contender that they comprehensively unpicked with a mixture of energy and invention.
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They have shifted through the gears since Howe settled on a system that pairs Bruno Guimaraes, newly deployed as a roaming No 8, and Sandro Tonali, now their conductor at No 6.
It was his intervention that paved the way for Anthony Gordon to set the tone inside two minutes, nicking the ball from the feet of Boubacar Kamara just inside his own half to feed the roaming Joelinton – another hitting form.
Guimaraes has been transformed by the midfield reclalibration. He could always pick a line-breaking pass but suddenly the fizz has returned to his press – the skipper’s attitude summed up as he harried Youri Tielemans in the third minute of injury time.
It was his fine pass that started the move to led to Alexander Isak’s goal, which arrived just as Villa were threatening to get back on top.
Newcastle CUT THROUGH Aston Villa
A simple tap-in for Alexander Isak to double the hosts' lead!#PLonPrime #NEWAVL pic.twitter.com/rXhoNHZAEK
It was a talking point and a turning point, but hardly a major injustice. When will players learn that raising a boot puts them in danger of sanction?
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Read MoreEmery cut a frustrated figure for most of this, rowing with Newcastle’s spiky number two Jason Tindall, who was subsequently sent off at half-time for clashing with a Villa analyst.
Typically the third, killer, goal from Joelinton came from a mistake – even if the Brazilian did brilliantly to curl it past Martinez.
Emery said Aston Villa would appeal Duran’s sending off. “For me, [it’s] not a red card,” the Villa boss said. “Completely not. I think he didn’t kick him voluntarily, on purpose. It is a high punishment for this action.” Howe agreed it was a harsh decision.
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