Newcastle United: 5-1 Aston Villa: Alexander Isak nets twice, Sandro Tonali, Harvey Barnes bag debut goals in easy win

A few years ago, Newcastle United against Aston Villa in the Saturday teatime slot would have received despondent eye-rolls. But as the new Premier League season’s first 5.30pm offering, there was something different about this encounter, which dripped in fervent antcipation.

Two star-studded squads, led by two world-class managers, were to do battle, with excitement heightened by a high-octane 3-3 draw the pair played out in Philadelphia last month.

The game did not disappoint and was worth its hype, with two debut goals from a pair of high-reputation, big-money signings, and a furious tempo driven on by a raucous St James’ Park.

It was Newcastle who flew out of the blocks on their return to Premier League action, and it was their standout summer purchase, Sandro Tonali, who had them in front just six minutes into their new season, and six minutes into his St James’ Park debut.

Worked intricately between Anthony Gordon and Joelinton down the left, Gordon, the Newcastle winger, got to the byline and stood up a delicious cross. Tonali gambled at the far post, stooping lowest to power The Magpies into the ascendancy, and send the Toon Army into an early delirium.

Tonali was halted just a minute after by the onrushing Emiliano Martinez, the Villla goalkeeper, as more neat work in the left half-space between Joelinton and Gordon found the Italian clean through, but a strong arm from Martinez denied him.

The festivities were abruptly halted by another high-profile debutant, Moussa Diaby, who had admirers aplenty – including Newcastle – before his move to Villa Park this summer. Merely five minutes had been played before the Frenchman stroked Villa level, as Lucas Digne, the left-back, got to the far byline and hung a ball into the area, just begging to be put away. His compatriot Diaby duly obliged, ghosting in at the far post to side-foot home with his right – his swinger – and tame the sting of the St James’ roar somewhat.

On 16 minutes – to give a loose Oppenheimer comparison – the atmosphere reignited, with Newcastle’s second, met with an explosive crescendo of noise.

A neat free-kick routine, passed simply by captain Kieran Trippier to Tonali to his right, before the Italian floated a ball to the far post in search of Sven Botman, the Dutch centre-back, on the slide. Botman improvised brilliantly to knock it back for the onrushing Alexander Isak, who swept home to put the hosts back into the driving seat.

In true end-to-end Premier League fashion, Ollie Watkins had the opportunity to level the scores on 25 minutes, as his effort on the run dribbled just wide of Nick Pope’s far post, but that wasn’t before Isak had outmuscled Tyrone Mings, the Aston Villa centre-back, in the right channel and driven into the box in an attempt to double his tally.

That collision had Mings on the floor in a heap, and the England international was forced off in pain and replaced by Pau Torres, the Spaniard, for his first flavouring of English football since his move from Villarreal, thrown into the bubbling Tyneside cauldron.

From then on, Unai Emery’s Villa could not handle the heat, drowning as the cauldron threatened to boil over, such was the intensity of Newcastle’s press and the ferocity of their attacking transition, and they reaped further reward as Isak finally had his second, and The Magpies’ third, profiting from an Ezri Konsa mistake to put the result beyond doubt.

Gordon, a constant thorn in the side of Villa right-back Matty Cash’s side, slid a deft ball into the left channel for the dogged Swede to chase, and it was his hassle and harry that forced the error, with Konsa dallying against his byline, being robbed by the striker, who sat down the onrushing Martinez, before his delicate chip kissed the back of the visiting net.

Cash, the Poland international, blazed over from close range on 65 minutes after Watkins’ powerful effort had been parried by Pope, but that was as far as The Villans would come to halving their defecit.

Instead, it was the home side who extended their advantage. The Villa defence would have been glad to see the back of the hat-trick-chasing Isak, but it was his replacement, Callum Wilson, combined with fellow substitute Harvey Barnes, that killed any lingering hope in the visiting camp, and it was the persistent Newcastle press that forced the fourth.

Miscommunication between Cash and Martinez had the Argentine goalkeeper shanking into the stands under intense pressure from Wilson, and a quick throw into Tonali saw the former Milan midfielder slot a threaded pass into the left channel for Barnes to hare after. The left-winger had the vision to spot Wilson’s central dart, and slid across for the England striker to open his account for the new campaign.

Wilson should have had a second as Barnes scurried forward once more with the Villa defence at sixes and sevens, and a similar square to Wilson should have had the same outcome as before, but a fortitous stop from the knee of Martinez kept the scoreline – at least fairly – respectable.

The resulting corner saw Joelinton’s looping header hacked off the line by a desperate Watkins, as The Magpies threatened to run riot. Cue the oles; an unusual sight on day one.

Barnes had his debut goal at the death, with Villa again caught playing too high a line, and the Englishman bore down on goal with menace, slotting home a trademark side-footer into the far corner to compound the visitors’ misery.

Quite the statement from Eddie Howe’s men, but back to the drawing board from Emery’s Villa.

When analysing Aston Villa’s squad, there are quality names in every position. Some, or even most, you might think should be at a club with a stature greater than that of Villa.

But those shimmering stars had nothing on the workhorses in black and white stripes.

From minute one, Howe’s Newcastle gave them a rude awakening. Welcome back to the Premier League.

The Magpies’ manager could not have asked for anything more from his players, who deservedly got their reward for a complete – and frankly frightening – performance.

Sure, it might be a cop-out to name the two-goal hero as the player of the match, but it was the perfect No. 9’s display from the sparkling Swede.

He showed his willingness to do the donkey work in the channels, linking play and pinning centre-backs, while having the intuition to create space and offer an outlet for the creators, Guimaraes and Tonali, with his movement.

He showed his clinical nature in his finishes, and his persistence in the press paid dividends for his second strike, with a cute chip to double his tally and send shivers down the spines of Premier League centre-backs.

Newcastle: Pope 6, Trippier 6, Schar 6, Botman 7, Burn 6, Tonali 7, Guimaraes 7, Joelinton 7, Almiron 6, Isak 8, Gordon 7. Subs: Barnes 7, Wilson 7, Longstaff 6, Murphy 6., Anderson 6.

Aston Villa: Martinez 6, Cash 6. Konsa 5, Mings 5, Digne 6, Kamara 6, Luiz 6, Bailey 6, McGinn 6, Diaby 7, Watkins 6. Subs: Tielemans 6, Caros 6, Coutinho 6, Philogene 6.

7′: GOAL! It’s a dream start for the new boy and for Newcastle, as it’s Sandro Tonali on his debut! A real crescendo of noise meets the goal, as Gordon swings in a sumptuous cross after a give and go with Joelinton down the left, and Tonali gambles at the back post, stooping low to nod them in front!

8′: CLOSE! He was in again, Tonali! Joelinton and Gordon work it nicely, and Tonali, marauding into the left side of the box, is one v one against Martinez, but the Argentine’s strong arm denies the Italian.

11′: GOAL! Villa are level, and it’s another debutant, Moussa Diaby! The club-record signing sends the travelling faithful into delirium as Digne does really well to send a bouncing cross in from the far byline, and Diaby watches it wonderfully onto his weaker right foot, side-footing beyond Pope! A lightning start here!

16′: GOAL! Newcastle are back in front, and it’s Alexander Isak! The free kick from McGinn’s trip on Guimaraes is worked right by Trippier to Tonali, whose delivery is towards Botman at the back post, who on the slide tees up Isak to slot home beyond the floundering Martinez!

58′: GOAL! It’s three, and it’s Isak again! Newcastle have clear daylight, after a howler from Ezri Konsa! Gordon slides Isak into the left channel, but Konsa dallies, loses possession as the Swede harries, and sits Martinez down, dinking the ‘keeper with aplomb.

77′: GOAL! It’s four, and it’s Callum Wilson! Newcastle are running away with it, and it’s pass and move football at its very best. Tonali slides Barnes down the left, and the winger has the vision to spot Wilson’s dart into the middle, and the substitute slots home for four.

81′: CLOSE! Newcastle flood forward once more as Barnes breaks forward and looks to square for Wilson once more, but the knee of Martinez fortuitously saves Villa from a fifth!

82′: OFF THE LINE! Joelinton’s looping header from the resulting corner is hacked off the line at the last by Watkins!

90′: GOAL! Barnes profits from too high a line from Villa, and bears down on goal, slotting coolly beyond Martinez for five!