Saunders in ‘horrendous’ Aston Villa v Newcastle admission after what’s happened
Dean Saunders has spoken out as Aston Villa prepare to face Newcastle United on Saturday.
The Villans are preparing to welcome Jason Tindall and his side to B6 on 19 April in a huge Premier League clash in the race for a top-five finish.
This comes just days after Unai Emery’s men fell out of the Champions League despite picking up a famous 3-2 win against PSG.
After just four days of rest, Saunders has shared his scathing verdict ahead of the clash against the Magpies at Villa Park.
Saunders in negative Aston Villa view v Newcastle
There is no doubt that the claret and blue outfit have a chequered record against the North East club, which doesn’t necessarily serve them well.
This will have to change in B6 as the home side looks to move level with fourth-place Nottingham Forest with five games remaining.
| Position | Team | Games played | Goal difference | Points |
| 3. | Newcastle United | 32 | +21 | 59 |
| 4. | Nottingham Forest | 32 | +13 | 57 |
| 5. | Manchester City | 32 | +20 | 55 |
| 6. | Chelsea | 32 | +17 | 54 |
| 7. | Aston Villa | 32 | +3 | 54 |
Newcastle under Tindall will represent a difficult task after securing a 5-0 win at St James’ Park against Crystal Palace in midweek.
With the lack of rest for both sides, there is every chance that the clash at Villa Park could be less energetic than potentially expected.
Former Villa man Saunders echoed that point on talkSPORT (19 April, 08:13am) in a critical verdict ahead of the Premier League outing.
He said: “If you check all the results of all the teams in Europe, especially Newcastle and Villa, it’s horrendous, the game after.
“The music comes on for the Champions League, you get built up for a massive game, the stadium is buzzing, and it takes it out of you emotionally. No matter who you play next, it’s a bit of a comedown.”
Aston Villa in must-win clash v Newcastle United
After the pride in defeat against PSG, the Villans will be keen to secure qualification for Europe’s elite competition once again.
Emery could take a huge step towards achieving that goal with a huge win against a high-flying Newcastle United side, who are still boosted by their League Cup win.
The Spaniard will need to rely on his best players like Marcus Rashford and Morgan Rogers to breach the Magpies’ defence, who have conceded just one in their last three games.
Squad rotation will also play a major role as the likes of Andres Garcia and Donyell Malen will be keen to prove themselves in the Premier League once more.
It will certainly be interesting to see if the home side can bounce back after a bittersweet night in the Champions League, but there is no doubt that Emery will have high expectations, as always.