Pundit shares ‘not ideal’ Aston Villa admission after Newcastle United announcement
We’re delighted to welcome former Aston Villa full-back Alan Hutton as our exclusive columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at Villa Park…
Alan Hutton admits Aston Villa’s opening Premier League clash away at Newcastle isn’t ideal for his former club.
The Premier League announced the 2023/24 fixture list on 15 June, with Villa set to travel to St James’ Park on Saturday, 12 August. The game will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.
Villa’s first home game is against Everton before they finish off August with an away day at newly-promoted Burnley.
Hutton is “excited” by the prospect of Villa opening the season against Newcastle but he admits it’s a tricky fixture for his former club, who’ll no doubt want to hit the ground running under Unai Emery.
Speaking to Villa News, Hutton said: “It’s not ideal but then again, it’s a good opportunity to go and put down a marker.
“Villa could say, ‘look, we mean business this year’.
“Newcastle will be looked at as a team going for the top four again. They’re in the Champions League, they’ll want to build and get stronger.
“If Villa can go and take it to them at their own ground then it shows you where they’re sitting at that moment in time.”
Villa not only start their season on the road but they also finish it away from home when they play Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on 19 May.
In other Aston Villa news, big-name signings are now on the cards after a behind-the-scenes arrival at Villa Park.