Newcastle have picked up 16 points in the month of October - more than any other team in the Premier League this month - but chances were few and far between in an elongated first period, due to a head injury to Villa keeper Emiliano Martínez until Howe’s side were awarded a penalty in first-half injury time. Ashley Young blocked a shot with his arm and Callum Wilson comfortably dispatched the penalty.
Boasting the strongest defensive record in the division, being the only club to have a record of under one goal conceded per game, Newcastle looked assured in defence throughout and clinical in attack.
Within 13 minutes of the restart, they were 2-0 ahead. After a neat one-two with Miguel Almirón, Kieran Trippier clipped in a cross to Wilson at the back post who headed in his second in front of England manager Gareth Southgate.
Cue an Aston Villa capitulation. Just two minutes later it was three goals to the good through Joelinton’s close-range tap-in before a resurgent Almirón curled in an unstoppable fourth to wrap up the points before the clock hit 70 minutes.
Villa’s hopes of securing consecutive victories in the Premier League for the first time since May were dashed and early optimism since Unai Emery’s appointment quickly evaporated.
The irony of the Spaniard’s rejection of the North East club pre the Eddie Howe era should not be lost and now with the Magpies flying high in every sense of the word, there is an awful lot of work to be done down the A1 in Birmingham.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Callum Wilson (Newcastle United)
