Ollie Watkins Gets 6 | Aston Villa Players Rated After 0-0 Draw Against Newcastle United | OneFootball

Aston Villa kicked off their new Premier League campaign with a tight 0-0 draw against Newcastle United at home. The visitors were on the offensive from the start, and Anthony Gordon had a great chance within the first few minutes, but Villa’s new goalkeeper, Marco Bizot, made some excellent saves to save the team from an early blow.

Villa were shaky in the first half. Losing the ball in midfield and failing to establish offensive coordination were their biggest problems for Unai Emery’s team. The Magpies, on the other hand, created chances but failed to find a goal to show for it. In the second half, Boubacar Kamara’s header from John McGinn’s cross was easily caught by Nick Pope. Ollie Watkins then tried again, but he too could not pose a challenge to the goalkeeper.

The biggest turning point of the game came in the 66th minute when Ezri Konsa pulled down Gordon to stop him, and was shown a straight red card. Villa then held on for the final half hour with ten men to share the points. The result marked their 22nd consecutive undefeated home encounter at Villa Park.

Player ratings and performances of Aston Villa players against Newcastle United

Marco Bizot (8/10):

Marco Bizot played brilliantly on his debut. He stopped both Gordon and Elanga from scoring and ensured a clean sheet.

Matty Cash (6/10):

Matty Cash worked hard on the right and made several dangerous blocks. His contribution was balanced throughout.

Ezri Konsa (5/10):

Ezri Konsa’s performance was overshadowed by his red card. Konsa is lucky that his red card did not see Villa conceding a goal.

Tyrone Mings (6/10):

Tyrone Mings led the defence and tried to organise the backline by showing his leadership quality. Yet he failed to stop Gordon’s chances.

Lucas Digne (6/10):

Lucas Digne did not get many opportunities to go forward. He also struggled to stop Elanga. Digne’s performance was average to say the least.

Boubacar Kamara (7/10):

Boubacar Kamara controlled the ball in the middle and also played the role of centre-back in the end.

Amadou Onana (7/10):

WALSALL, ENGLAND – AUGUST 06: Amadou Onana of Aston Villa looks on during the pre-season friendly match between Aston Villa and AS Roma at Pallet-Track Bescot Stadium on August 06, 2025 in Walsall, England. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

Amadou Onana covered long distances on the field and did a good job in retrieving possession. Sometimes there were lapses in passing, but still, he exuded confidence.

John McGinn (6/10):

John McGinn showed fight from the start and gave the team an outlet from the right side.

Youri Tielemans (6/10):

Youri Tielemans played close to Watkins but did not take the burden of initiating attacks from deep. His contribution was limited.

Morgan Rogers (6/10):

Morgan Rogers took time to get into rhythm, but he gave a great pass to Watkins. His work rate was useful.

Ollie Watkins (6/10):

WALSALL, ENGLAND – AUGUST 06: Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa looks on during the pre-season friendly match between Aston Villa and AS Roma at Pallet-Track Bescot Stadium on August 06, 2025 in Walsall, England. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

Ollie Watkins got fewer chances and could not convert the ones that came his way. He was seen struggling, especially in the first half.

SUB: Donyell Malen (N/A):

Donyell Malen was sent on the field late and did not have enough time to influence the game.