Aston Villa face Newcastle United in an early heavyweight Premier League clash on Saturday.Both sides will be eager to kick off the 2025/26 campaign with a victory, as Newcastle aim to build on their ...
Aston Villa face Newcastle United in an early heavyweight Premier League clash on Saturday.
Both sides will be eager to kick off the 2025/26 campaign with a victory, as Newcastle aim to build on their fifth-place finish last term, Champions League qualification, and Carabao Cup triumph under Eddie Howe.
Aston Villa look to rebound from slipping to sixth and missing out on the Champions League.
Aston Villa vs Newcastle United – Match preview and team news
- Date: Saturday 16th August 2025
- Kick-off: 12:30 PM BST
- Venue: Villa Park, Birmingham
- Last Meeting: Aston Villa 4-1 Newcastle United, April 19th 2025, Premier League
Team News
Aston Villa
Aston Villa could hand potential debuts to several summer signings, including goalkeeper Marco Bizot, who joined from Brest for an undisclosed fee, striker Evann Guessand, acquired from Nice, and youngsters Yasin Ozcan and Zepiqueno Redmond.
Tyrone Mings has returned to full fitness and is expected to anchor the defence, but Emiliano Martínez is ruled out for this opener due to suspension He received a straight red card in the final game of the 2024/25 season against Manchester United, with the ban carrying over.
Building towards our season opener 🔋 pic.twitter.com/WqMsdTJHaP
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) August 13, 2025
Morgan Rogers has trained this week and is expected to feature after earlier fitness concerns, while Ross Barkley and Andres Garcia are doubts due to knocks. Jacob Ramsey’s imminent switch to Newcastle adds uncertainty, with the midfielder set for a medical and unlikely to feature.
Newcastle United
Newcastle may give debuts to recent arrivals, including winger Anthony Elanga, signed from Nottingham Forest for £55m, and defender Malick Thiaw, who joined from AC Milan for £35m. Goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale joined on a season-long loan from Southampton, and could start over Nick Pope.
Joe Willock is sidelined with an Achilles injury, while star striker Alexander Isak will not be involved amid speculation about his future.
Sven Botman is back from a long-term knee issue and expected to start in defence, but Anthony Gordon is doubtful with an ankle injury; the squad has faced disruption from a winless pre-season.
The blonde boys from Brazil 💇♂️🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/3cTnZZMMqt
— Newcastle United (@NUFC) August 14, 2025
Form
Aston Villa: N/A
Unai Emery’s side showed resilience in pre-season, securing wins over Villarreal, Athletic Bilbao, and a 4-0 victory over AS Roma, while drawing with RB Leipzig. They enter the campaign with momentum from last season’s strong finish, though a loss to Club America highlighted defensive vulnerabilities.
Newcastle United: N/A
Eddie Howe’s team endured a tough pre-season, suffering defeats to Atletico Madrid and Yokohama F. Marinos, with draws against Brest and Girona. This extends an eight-match winless run.
Predicted Lineups
Aston Villa: Bizot; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Maatsen; Kamara, Tielemans; McGinn, Rogers, Malen; Watkins.
Newcastle United: Pope; Trippier, Lascelles, Botman, Livramento; Elanga, Guimarães, Tonali, Joelinton, Barnes; Gordon.
How to watch Aston Villa vs Newcastle United?
UK fans can watch the game on TNT Sports, with coverage starting at 11:30 AM BST. Streaming is available via the TNT Sports app and discovery+ for subscribers.
Read – Ranking the worst Premier League away kits in 2025/26
See More – Premier League records that could be broken in 2025/26
Subscribe to our social channels:
Category: General Sports
