Newcastle vs A’Villa: Emery anticipates tough Boxing Day clash at St James’ Park

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery expects a tough test when his side travels to Newcastle United on Boxing Day Premier League cracker at St James’ Park.

Villa, riding high after a 2-1 victory over Manchester City, will face a Newcastle side in impressive form, having secured consecutive wins of their own.

“Very difficult, because I think now they are in good form, and of course, they played two years ago in the Champions League,” Emery said of Newcastle. “Their objective is clearly to be in Europe.”

Emery praised Newcastle manager Eddie Howe, highlighting his team’s dynamic style of play and their impressive record against Villa.

“He (Howe) was doing a fantastic job with Bournemouth. Always, his teams are more or less dynamic teams, intensity, they like to play with the ball possession and being aggressive in attack, attacking with a lot of players,” Emery added. “They (Newcastle) beat us last year two times, and of course, I respect them a lot. It is a very strong stadium for them, difficult for the opponent.”

Villa have struggled away from home this season, losing their last four Premier League matches on the road.

Meanwhile, Howe has challenged his eighth-placed side to break into the “elite” of English football. Despite facing financial constraints, Howe remains ambitious and believes the Premier League’s competitiveness presents opportunities for his team to make significant strides.

“I never see anything as a closed shop,” he said. “It’s our job to try and achieve the most that we can and put no barriers on our levels or our expectations of ourselves internally and see what happens.”

Howe emphasized the high level of competition in the Premier League, stating, “There are no easy games and that makes a great spectacle. It makes a great league because you never know what’s going to happen. You never know what twists and turns are ahead, so it’s up to all of us to try and break into whatever group of teams, try to upset people and achieve success.”