SCHAR AND SCHAR ALIKE!
Goal hero Fab is simply two sharp for Villa
TOON stormed fortress Villa Park as Unai Emery’s side lost at home in the Premier League for the first time in a year.
Fabian Schar netted twice from corners inside three first-half minutes to break Villa’s resistance and then Jacob Murphy slid home shortly after the interval, with the aid of a deflection from Villa full-back Alex Moreno.
Emery came away from the north-east on the opening day of the campaign having seen his team concede five and it could have been a similar story last night as Newcastle recorded only their second league win away from St
James’ Park.
Villa were looking to keep the pressure on the Premier League big guns but found themselves blown out of the water by the Toon’s ruthlessness.
From Kieran Trippier’s right-wing corner, Schar battled his way past Douglas Luiz and poked it into the bottom corner for his first Premier League goal of the season. He didn’t have to wait long for his second – another three minutes to be precise, and another close-range finish.
Moreno nodded the ball out to the edge of the area from another Trippier right-wing corner and Sean Longstaff tried his luck on the full.
When Clement Lenglet stuck out a leg, fortune did not favour the hosts. The ball crashed into the underside of the crossbar and Schar (right) was in the right place to tap in his second from the rebound.
The hosts were further behind seven minutes after the re-start. Matty Cash was robbed of possession on the right flank and Anthony Gordon scampered away with sub Miguel Almiron providing support.
He found his colleague who then provided a lovely assist for Murphy to bundle home at the far post, with Moreno’s help.
Villa made it a rousing finish after pulling one back with 20 minutes left on the clock.
Leon Bailey had looked lively after coming on as a sub just after the hour and the Jamaica international latched on to John Mcginn’s pass and crossed for Ollie Watkins to claim the 50th Premier League goal of his career.
Watkins then thought he had claimed a second within a couple of minutes, only for the roars of the Villa Park crowd to be strangled after it was cancelled for a marginal offside decision.
Longstaff missed a late sitter.