Sports Mole brings you live text commentary of the Premier League clash between Newcastle United and Aston Villa at the Sports Direct Arena.
Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text commentary of the Premier League clash between Newcastle United and Aston Villa at the Sports Direct Arena.
Paul Lambert will be demanding a response from his players after seeing them well beaten in both of their opening games.
The Scot's tenure began with a 1-0 defeat to West Ham United on the first day of the season, before Everton triumphed 3-1 at Villa Park last weekend.
Alan Pardew's men are also looking to bounce back from a 2-0 defeat they suffered at the hands of Chelsea.
The Magpies have not lost at home to the Villans since 2005.
FULL TIMEThe final whistle goes and it ends all square at the Sports Direct Arena. Fair result. 90 mins + 5SAVE! Cabaye strikes a great free kick but Guzan scrambles across his goal to deny him. 90 mins + 2Ben Arfa gets to the byline inside the Villa area but cannot find Cisse with the cut back. 89 minsYELLOW! Eric Lichaj is booked for a challenge on Gabriel Obertan. 88 minsThere will be five minutes of added-on time at the end of the second half. 85 minsDOUBLE SUBSTITUTION: Sylvain Marveaux comes on for Jonas Gutierrez and Gabriel Obertan replaces Demba Ba. 84 minsCHANCE! Agbonlahor stormed into the Newcastle half before teeing up Bent, but his shot is blocked with a last-ditch effort by Birgirmana. He needed to be sharper. 79 minsCHANCE! The ball falls to Ireland inside the box but his shot misses the target. He should have done far better. Lambert cuts a frustrated figure on the touchline. 76 minsBen Arfa makes half a yard for himself inside the Villa area and cuts the ball back, but no one is there to test Guzan. The ball is cleared. 74 minsAnita heads Bannan's cross behind for a corner. Nothing comes of it. 71 minsSUBSTITUTION: Charles N'Zogbia comes on to replace Karim El Ahmadi. 69 minsColoccini's cross is blocked by Lowton and the Newcastle fans scream for handball. Not given. Corner to Newcastle. 66 minsThe game has died down since that stunning goal from Ben Arfa. The managers are going to have to shake things up if they want to win this game. 60 minsThe Frenchman was afforded far too much time and space just outside the Villa area. He cut inside on his right foot before unleashing a rasping shot that flies past Brad Guzan. We'll be seeing that one a few times more! 59 minsGOAL! SENSATIONAL STRIKE FROM HATEM BEN ARFA! 58 minsSHOT! Ireland's shot is comfortably saved by Krul. 57 minsHolman bursts forward into the Newcastle half but his attempted through ball to Bent is cut out. 55 minsBent rises the highest to meet Bannan's corner from the left, but his header goes way over. 52 minsGutierrez tries to jink his way into the Villa box but is swamped by a mass of claret shirts. The danger is cleared by Clark and El Ahamadi. 49 minsBannan whips one into the box from the left but Santon gets his head to it. The ball rolls to Bent on the edge of the area, but he waits too long to get a shot away and it is blocked. 48 minsAnother corner for Villa. Bannan takes it once again, but it's hacked away. 46 minsBannan swings in a corner but Krul claims. 45 minsThe second half is underway at the Sports Direct Arena. 5.04pmYou can read Sports Mole's half-time report by clicking here. 4.59pmFIRST-HALF ANALYSIS: Villa are good value for their half-time lead. They look strong at the back and are defending in numbers. Barry Bannan is posing a threat down the left-hand side. 4.57pmFIRST-HALF ANALYSIS: Newcastle have seen more of the ball in the first 45 minutes, but they have not done very much with it. Demba Ba has been lively and he looks like the Magpies' main goal threat. HALF TIMEThe referee blows his whistle for half time. Ciaran Clark's 21st-minute header is all that separates the two sides at the break. 45 minsThere will be two minutes of time added on at the end of this first half. 43 minsA long ball is knocked down by Bent and Weimann tries an audacious lob, but it goes over Krul's bar. Not a bad effort. 43 minsA long ball is knocked down by Bent and Weimann tries an audacious lob, but it goes over Krul's bar. Not a bad effort. 41 minsSHOT! Ba wriggles past Lowton before trying his hand from around 30 yards. It's a bit of a daisy cutter and Guzan gathers it comfortably. 39 minsSHOT! Ba drags his tame effort across Guzan's goal. 37 minsSUBSTITUTE: Danny Simpson is going to make way for Gael Birgimana. 35 minsSimpson is receiving treatment on what looks like a hamstring pull. 29 minsThe corner comes to nothing. 29 minsCHANCE! Ba swivels on the left side of Villa's area before squaring the ball to Cisse, but his shot is saved by Guzan and it goes out for a corner. 26 minsYELLOW! Karim El Ahmadi goes into the book for a strong challenge on Danny Simpson. 23 minsBa goes down under a challenge from Lichaj and Newcastle appeal for a penalty. Not given. 22 minsBarry Bannan sent a cross into the box from the left and Clark powered a header past Krul. The Newcastle defenders were left standing. 21 minsGOAL! CLARK SCORES FOR ASTON VILLA! 19 minsSAVE! Bannan's ball into the box is flicked on by Weimann and it falls to Bent, but his shot is saved by Krul for a corner, which was easily cleared by Newcastle. 17 minsNewcastle pump a free kick into the box and Demba Ba brings is down with his chest before attempting a shot, but it is blocked by the Villa defence. 15 minsSanton skips into the box and goes down, but the referee waves away the protests. It would have been a soft decision. 15 minsSanton skips into the box and goes down, but the referee waves away the protests. It would have been a soft decision. 13 minsLichaj goes searching for Bent with a long ball, but it's a poor attempt. 12 minsIt's been a slow start to the game. Much of the play has been situated in midfield, although there is very little urgency or direct action. 9 minsWilliamson launches it into the box but the ball is easily claimed by Guzan. 9 minsBen Arfa goes down under very little pressure from El Ahmadi. Free kick to Newcastle. 5 minsThe first five minutes have passed with not much happening. So let's delve into the past to recount that day of Villa's last win at Newcastle. It came seven years ago in a match that was famous for the on-pitch scuffle between Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer. Villa, under David O'Leary, won the game 3-0. 1 minWe're underway at the Sports Direct Arena. 3.59pmVilla have failed to score in six of their last eight away games, including the last four in a row. Never have they gone five... 3.58pmAston Villa: Guzan, Lowton, Vlaar, Clark, Lichaj, Holman, El Ahamadi, Ireland, Bannan, Weimann, BentSubs: Given, Baker, Agbonlahor, N?Zogbia, Burke, Bowery, Williams
3.57pmNewcastle: Krul, Simpson, S Taylor, Coloccini, Santon, Ben Arfa, Anita, Cabaye, Gutierrez, Ba, CisseSubs: Williamson, Gosling, Amalfitano, Birgimana, Marveaux, Obertan, Harper
3.50pmWelcome to Sports Mole's live text commentary of Newcastle United vs. Aston Villa at the Sports Direct Arena.
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