NUFC player ratings vs Aston Villa: Two 9’s, a 8.5, several 8’s, one 7.5, a few 7’s and a 6

It has been a fantastic month for Newcastle United, as we are going to enter November in the top four of the Premier League.

After a mixed start, this has established the team as a potential European contender, with a genuine chance of at least competing for the top four. After a competitive start to the game, it became a procession. The 4-0 scoreline could have been higher, as we hit the woodwork twice in the latter stages.

Below we rate the performances of each player.

Nick Pope – 7 – It was an easy afternoon for Pope, as he didn’t have a save to make. He was confident in controlling his area and came out of his box to make a couple of defensive actions. Pope gives a lot of confidence to the defence. His organisation was on show today in front of the England manager. 

Kieran Trippier – 8.5 – The most consistent player in our squad was imperious once again. His performances are getting overlooked at times, as he is delivering a high standard every week. The assist for Wilson’s second was a smartly worked set piece. In possession, Trippier was very good, with four key passes. The onwatching Gareth Southgate would have been impressed.

Fabian Schar – 8 – This was a passing display of the highest quality. Schar is always looking to be positive on the ball, and his diagonal long passes caused problems for Aston Villa. He played his part in the clean sheet, with his defensive work being good again. 

Sven Botman – 7.5 – The Dutchman has now confirmed his place in the starting eleven and he is growing in confidence. We have yet to see him get unsettled in the Premier League, with a very impressive adaptation to the league. He was taken off early, but he can be pleased with his contribution.

Dan Burn – 7 – It was a testing afternoon for Dan Burn, as was targeted by Aston Villa. Leon Bailey moved across to play on the right, which was difficult for Burn, due to the pace deficit. However, he stood up to the challenge and managed to get through it. His leadership was important in the win.

Sean Longstaff – 8 – There were some that questioned the new contract being given to Sean Longstaff, but he has been great over the last month. It will be difficult for Jonjo Shelvey to get back into the team. Longstaff has a great engine and he covers every blade of grass. His ability to get across to the right side to create overloads was important. Three tackles and one interception shows his defensive intelligence. It is great to see a local lad in the current team. 

Joe Willock – 7 – There will be some frustration that he hasn’t got an attacking return this afternoon, but he was very impressive again. His energy in midfield is important, as he can cover ground quickly. He is often the player that carries the ball up field to launch counter attacks, as he did for the third goal. 

Bruno Guimaraes – 9 – Brazilian boss Tite was watching and he would have been impressed by Bruno Guimaraes. He regularly stands tall in the middle of the park, dominating opposition players, as he did this afternoon. The midfielder was our playmaker, making 61 passes during the game, comfortably more than any other player. His reading of the game is great. Like Trippier, his consistency means his world class performances don’t get the plaudits that they deserve. 

Miguel Almiron – 8 – There won’t be many better candidates for player of the month, as Almiron added another goal to his tally. He has scored six goals in the month of October and his strike here was another fantastic strike. There was more to his game today, as he was getting in behind the Aston Villa defence at will. There aren’t many players in better form than him. 

Joelinton – 8 – Like Bruno Guimaraes, this was an opportunity for Joelinton to impress TIte. It is unlikely that Tite would have seen Joelinton much in the flesh, but he will have gone away impressed. He managed to get on the scoresheet for his first of the season. He has four shots, two key passes, won three aerial duels and made two tackles. It was a complete midfielder display. The yellow card means he misses the next match, which is a slight disappointment. 

Callum Wilson – 9.5 – There was a chance for Callum Wilson to impress the England manager and he didn’t need a second invitation. He took his penalty confidently and it helped give us control of the game. Wilson’s second was great positioning and a simple finish. On another day, he would have scored a hat-trick, as he hit the bar late on. 

SUBS:

Jacob Murphy – 7 – Eddie Howe has shown a lot of faith in Jacob Murphy and he has been rewarded with some improved performances. This was arguably his best of the season so far, as he stretched the game and caused a lot of problems with his directness. He hit the post himself and crossed the ball for Wilson’s effort that struck the bar. Murphy was unlucky not to get a goal contribution.

Matt Targett – 6 – It was a solid showing from Targett after coming on. He will be pleased to have got some minutes and to play a part in a convincing win over his former club.

Jamaal Lascelles, Jonjo Shelvey, Chris Wood, Allan Saint-Maximin – N/A – These four players all came on late, so they didn’t have time to influence the game. It was good to see Shelvey and Saint-Maximin step up their recoveries from injury, while Chris Wood was whiskers away from scoring a fifth.