Aston Villa 1 Benteke (pen) 49
Newcastle United 2 Cissé 19, Cabaye 31
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| Papiss Cissé holds off the challenge of Nathan Baker to put Newcastle ahead against Aston Villa |
These are grim times for Aston Villa that must leave their supporters wondering whether their season could get any worse. Unfortunately for them, the answer is plainly yes. In the space of a week they have lost to Bradford City of League Two, Millwall of the Championship and now a Newcastle United side that had not won an away fixture all season. This result leaves them deep in the relegation quagmire and sinking fast.
Paul Lambert's side can take an ounce of consolation from their spirited efforts once Christian Benteke had scored with a debatable penalty early in the second half. They subjected Newcastle to some concerted pressure and were spared a hostile reception at the full-time whistle. "That's the first time I've seen a standing ovation after being beaten," Lambert reflected afterwards. "It was an incredible thing."
The crowd had certainly been forgiving, yet Lambert ignored the fact there were also boos after another performance that epitomised the frailties that have left this team in danger of surrendering their top-flight status. Toothless in attack, obliging in defence, they left themselves with too much to do after first-half goals from Papiss Cissé and Yohan Cabaye. "We never got going in the first half," Lambert said. "The second half, that's how you play football. But we can't start games like that."
Villa had been generous opponents for a side having their 18th attempt to win away from St James' Park this season and Newcastle will feel a lot more confident about avoiding relegation now they have clambered above Southampton to 15th position. Villa, meanwhile, drop below the jagged line and will be second from bottom if Reading manage a point or more at home to Chelsea on Wednesday. Their next four games include Everton, Arsenal and Manchester City. "All I can do is try my best to turn it around," Lambert said.
Villa had gone into this game in the knowledge that they had not taken so few points by this stage of the season since 1955-56. At one point in the first half, the Holte End could be heard rejoicing that the most porous defence in the league had successfully managed to clear a corner. Football supporters tend to resort to black humour when there is nothing else to amuse them and, in those moments, it was clear how disillusioned they had become. In the circumstances, it was almost a surprise the mood was not more mutinous.
Newcastle, lest it be forgotten, had brought their own sense of crisis with them. The difference was they had been prominently involved in the transfer window while Villa had pretty much ignored it. Pardew put two of his signings, Moussa Sissoko and Yoan Gouffran, straight into his starting line-up and both managers talked afterwards about the impact it had. "I don't think we would have won if we hadn't signed Sissoko," Pardew volunteered. "That's how important he was." The Newcastle supporters certainly appear to have embraced the new era of cross-Channel relations. Of several tricolours in the away end, the one that stood out was emblazoned with the words: "Le Toon."
They will have relished the role of the French contingent, starting in the 19th minute when Sissoko's pass dissected the entire Villa defence. For a split-second Nathan Baker, playing in the centre of Lambert's five-man defence, was culpable of ball-watching and suddenly Cissé was free. Brad Guzan was quick to leave his line but Cissé slid his shot beneath the Villa goalkeeper.
Within three minutes Charles N'Zogbia had crashed a shot against the post but the rest of the first half was an ordeal for Villa that saw the crowd's dismay become increasingly voluble. For the most part, it was in an isolated form, including shouts for Lambert to change the system and loud grumbles every time there was a misplaced pass. At half-time there was concerted booing.
Newcastle had increased their lead without looking particularly brilliant. The truth is they did not have to excel because, right before them, their opponents were crumpling. After 31 minutes, Jonás Gutiérrez crossed from the right and Ron Vlaar's header fell invitingly for Cabaye. The midfielder has shown before that he has the knack of striking the ball sweetly and this one was a peach – one touch to control the ball and then a diagonal volley from 25 yards, arrowing into the top corner.
Lambert acted at half-time. The manager had seen enough of Darren Bent and the left-back, Joe Bennett, bringing on Gabriel Agbonlahor and Andreas Weimann and switching his unorthodox 5‑2‑1-2 system to 4-2-3-1. Inside the first two minutes of the second half Tim Krul had to save from Weimann and Benteke in quick succession. Then Mathieu Debuchy and Agbonlahor set off after the same ball, running from inside the edge of the penalty area towards the perimeter line, and the referee, Mike Dean, decided the Villa player had been fouled. It looked soft in the extreme and the complexion of the match completely changed once Benteke had rolled his shot to Krul's right.
Utterly in control during the opening 45 minutes, Newcastle were pinned back for virtually the remainder of the match, inviting trouble by defending far too deep. Krul, however, was excellent and there was a brilliant saving tackle from another new signing, the substitute Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, to deny Ciaran Clark. A better side would have made Newcastle pay but it was clear, too, why Lambert's men had managed only one goal in their previous six league games at home.
Paul Lambert's side can take an ounce of consolation from their spirited efforts once Christian Benteke had scored with a debatable penalty early in the second half. They subjected Newcastle to some concerted pressure and were spared a hostile reception at the full-time whistle. "That's the first time I've seen a standing ovation after being beaten," Lambert reflected afterwards. "It was an incredible thing."
The crowd had certainly been forgiving, yet Lambert ignored the fact there were also boos after another performance that epitomised the frailties that have left this team in danger of surrendering their top-flight status. Toothless in attack, obliging in defence, they left themselves with too much to do after first-half goals from Papiss Cissé and Yohan Cabaye. "We never got going in the first half," Lambert said. "The second half, that's how you play football. But we can't start games like that."
Villa had been generous opponents for a side having their 18th attempt to win away from St James' Park this season and Newcastle will feel a lot more confident about avoiding relegation now they have clambered above Southampton to 15th position. Villa, meanwhile, drop below the jagged line and will be second from bottom if Reading manage a point or more at home to Chelsea on Wednesday. Their next four games include Everton, Arsenal and Manchester City. "All I can do is try my best to turn it around," Lambert said.
Villa had gone into this game in the knowledge that they had not taken so few points by this stage of the season since 1955-56. At one point in the first half, the Holte End could be heard rejoicing that the most porous defence in the league had successfully managed to clear a corner. Football supporters tend to resort to black humour when there is nothing else to amuse them and, in those moments, it was clear how disillusioned they had become. In the circumstances, it was almost a surprise the mood was not more mutinous.
Newcastle, lest it be forgotten, had brought their own sense of crisis with them. The difference was they had been prominently involved in the transfer window while Villa had pretty much ignored it. Pardew put two of his signings, Moussa Sissoko and Yoan Gouffran, straight into his starting line-up and both managers talked afterwards about the impact it had. "I don't think we would have won if we hadn't signed Sissoko," Pardew volunteered. "That's how important he was." The Newcastle supporters certainly appear to have embraced the new era of cross-Channel relations. Of several tricolours in the away end, the one that stood out was emblazoned with the words: "Le Toon."
They will have relished the role of the French contingent, starting in the 19th minute when Sissoko's pass dissected the entire Villa defence. For a split-second Nathan Baker, playing in the centre of Lambert's five-man defence, was culpable of ball-watching and suddenly Cissé was free. Brad Guzan was quick to leave his line but Cissé slid his shot beneath the Villa goalkeeper.
Within three minutes Charles N'Zogbia had crashed a shot against the post but the rest of the first half was an ordeal for Villa that saw the crowd's dismay become increasingly voluble. For the most part, it was in an isolated form, including shouts for Lambert to change the system and loud grumbles every time there was a misplaced pass. At half-time there was concerted booing.
Newcastle had increased their lead without looking particularly brilliant. The truth is they did not have to excel because, right before them, their opponents were crumpling. After 31 minutes, Jonás Gutiérrez crossed from the right and Ron Vlaar's header fell invitingly for Cabaye. The midfielder has shown before that he has the knack of striking the ball sweetly and this one was a peach – one touch to control the ball and then a diagonal volley from 25 yards, arrowing into the top corner.
Lambert acted at half-time. The manager had seen enough of Darren Bent and the left-back, Joe Bennett, bringing on Gabriel Agbonlahor and Andreas Weimann and switching his unorthodox 5‑2‑1-2 system to 4-2-3-1. Inside the first two minutes of the second half Tim Krul had to save from Weimann and Benteke in quick succession. Then Mathieu Debuchy and Agbonlahor set off after the same ball, running from inside the edge of the penalty area towards the perimeter line, and the referee, Mike Dean, decided the Villa player had been fouled. It looked soft in the extreme and the complexion of the match completely changed once Benteke had rolled his shot to Krul's right.
Utterly in control during the opening 45 minutes, Newcastle were pinned back for virtually the remainder of the match, inviting trouble by defending far too deep. Krul, however, was excellent and there was a brilliant saving tackle from another new signing, the substitute Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, to deny Ciaran Clark. A better side would have made Newcastle pay but it was clear, too, why Lambert's men had managed only one goal in their previous six league games at home.
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