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With a stellar performance from forward Alexsander Isak, Newcastle delighted the over 50,000 fans who packed Saint-James Park in their team’s debut match of the Premier League 2023/24 season. The Swedish player scored two goals, with the second being a masterpiece, in their resounding 5-1 victory over Aston Villa in the opening round. The other goals came from Tonali, the newly-signed home team player, Callum Wilson, and Barnes (another debutant). Diaby found the net for Aston Villa in what so far has been the standout match of the opening round of the English Championship. And make no mistake, despite the thrashing, Aston Villa put up a good fight.
It was a match of high intensity, with ample opportunities for both sides, narrowly missed shots, goalkeepers making remarkable saves (and notable blunders), and moments of top-notch play resulting in stunning goals. The first 15 minutes were jaw-dropping. Five minutes in, after having already created some good chances, Newcastle launched another blitz. Bruno Guimarães took a shot from the edge of the box, forcing a great save from Dibu Martínez, but on the follow-up, Joelinton laid it off for Gordon to cross, and the debutant Tonali sent it into the net.
At the ten-minute mark, Watkins orchestrated a great move down the left and crossed for Diaby to level the score for Aston Villa. However, at the 15th minute, after a lofted ball into the box, Botman stretched and managed to provide an assist for Isak to make it 2-1. The excitement continued, with a total of 16 attempts on goal, both teams relentlessly pushing forward.
Newcastle Dominates in the Second Half
In the second half, end-to-end action continued, but Newcastle proved more lethal. At the 58th minute came the highlight of the match. A through pass to Isak wasn’t perfect, and defender Konsa managed to regain possession. However, Isak persisted, won back the ball, and even with his shirt being tugged by the opponent (resulting in a tear), he calmly chipped it over the goalkeeper, producing a spectacular goal. Aston Villa felt the pressure and left gaps that were effectively exploited for counter-attacks. One such moment, at the 77th minute, culminated in a goal by Callum Wilson, extending the lead to 4-1. A fifth goal was denied due to a remarkable save by Martínez, thwarting Callum Wilson’s shot. Nevertheless, in the dying minutes at the 90th, Barnes capitalized on a counter-attack, stormed into the box, and sealed the scoreline at 5-1. A promising start indeed.