Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins displayed an exceptional performance, contributing two goals and an assist, leading the Lions to a well-deserved 3-0 victory over Newcastle United at Villa Park, further boosting their European aspirations.
With England coach Gareth Southgate watching, Watkins scored his 13th and 14th Premier League goals of the season and set up Jacob Ramsey’s opener in the first half, helping Aston Villa win five consecutive top-flight games for the first time since 1998.
Meanwhile, Newcastle’s five-game winning streak in the Premier League came to an end, as they were outplayed by their opponents throughout the match.
Despite Watkins’ early attempt hitting the post, Aston Villa took the lead in the 11th minute with Ramsey’s fourth league goal of the season, which was set up by Watkins’ headed assist.
Watkins’ performance caused trouble for Newcastle’s defence, which struggled to contain him.
The second half saw Villa continue to dominate, with Watkins coming close to scoring on a couple of occasions before finally netting his second goal with a fine finish in the 64th minute.
In the 84th minute, Watkins completed his brace with a calm finish from Emiliano Buendia’s pass, securing a convincing win for Villa.
The victory propelled Aston Villa to sixth place in the table, with a three-point gap behind fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, while Newcastle are clinging onto third place.
Villa will travel to Brentford in their next match, while Newcastle will host Tottenham in a crucial game between two top-four contenders on April 23rd.
