Guthrie, Taylor and Pardew on Aston Villa.

The last time we played at Villa Park on a Sunday it was a memorable affair, for all the wrong reasons.

That day - 24th May 2009 - will be forever etched in my memory.

Needing just one point to survive, a team that had one of the highest wagebills in the Premier League set about putting one of the weakest and limpest performances that I can remember from a side wearing black and white. We, the fans, needed those big money names to stand up and be counted, but we were let down and off we went to The Championship.

To make matters worse, Villa fans celebrated in the stands as though they had won the FA Cup. Banners were unfurled and fans rejoiced at the demise of a team that had no history with them. 'Sob on the Tyne' and 'Who's your next messiah?' stick in my mind, and they have done ever since.

Now it's the time for payback. You could argue some of that was dished out back in August when we beat them 6-0 at St James' Park was just that, but it's not the same as doing it in their own back yard.

In what is almost a carbon copy of the situation that we found ourselves in during the relegation season, Villa find themselves with off-field trouble, fan unrest, one of the highest wagebills in the Premier and a team that look so out of sorts and short of confidence that it's hard to imagine just why those players earn such fantastic money in the first place.

Karma would be partially restored if we could beat them on Sunday, but it won't be fully restored unless our defeat hammers another nail in their coffin and they end up relegated. Bitter? Just a tad.

My own personal view is that Villa are in a false position and have better players than their league position suggests (sound familiar?) so it wouldn't surprise me if we lost on Sunday afternoon. The one thing that is different for Newcastle this time around is the attitude of our players though, and they will be more motivated than ever to set the record straight.

First up is Danny Guthrie, who played the full 90 minutes of that game at Villa Park:

“It’s strange – it seems like they’re in the position we were in,” Guthrie told The Chronicle. “It was a horrible day, and no one’s forgotten it. It would be nice to do it for the fans. Some of the lads are still here from that day, so it would be nice to put one over them."

Then there is Steven Taylor, who also played the full 90 minutes that day. He told the Shields Gazette:

“Villa’s an important game, and we’ll go there looking to take the three points. We all remember what happened there, but we don’t need any added motivation."

Whilst Alan Pardew, who had nothing to do with that day, has said that he understands the feelings regarding that day and wouldn't be surprised if it was used to motivate the players.

“I’ve heard the story, but I didn’t witness it," said Pardew. "I’m very much aware of the feelings of our fanbase. Subconsciously, a little bit of that might be taken into the game, I’m not going to disguise that.”

Realistically though, and as much as it would be nice be nice to send Villa deeper into the doo-doo, we need the points for ourselves regardless of their own situation. Karma should take second place on Sunday as what really matter is what is at stake for NUFC - and that is taking a step closer to Premier League football next season.

Howay the lads!