Aston Villa's FA Cup Dream Ends in 3-1 Defeat to Newcastle
Aston Villa's journey in the FA Cup came to a disappointing end as they suffered a 3-1 defeat at home to Newcastle United in the fourth round. The match, played in a vibrant atmosphere at Villa Park, saw Tammy Abraham open the scoring early, but a red card for Marco Bizot before halftime shifted the momentum, allowing Sandro Tonali to score twice in the second half and Nick Woltemade to add a third.
Match Highlights and Key Moments
Villa started strongly, with Abraham finding the net in the 14th minute after a cleverly executed free-kick from Douglas Luiz. The Brazilian's delivery over the Newcastle wall, aided by Morgan Rogers' decoy run, allowed Abraham to control and lift the ball over goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale. Abraham nearly doubled the lead soon after, but Malick Thiaw's crucial block denied him.
Newcastle posed threats throughout, but Bizot's decision to foul Jacob Murphy during a counter-attack led to his dismissal just before halftime, forcing Villa to reorganize with Emiliano Martínez coming on. The Magpies capitalized after the break, with Tonali's deflected shot equalizing in the 63rd minute, followed by a powerful strike from outside the box in the 76th minute to put Newcastle ahead. A late error from Lamare Bogarde allowed Woltemade to seal the victory.
John Townley's Aston Villa Player Ratings
Marco Bizot: Sent off for a poor challenge on Murphy, drastically altering the game's outcome. Rating: 3
Lamare Bogarde: Generally solid at right-back until a costly late pass led to Newcastle's third goal. Rating: 5
Victor Lindelöf: Made key defensive contributions, including deflecting Anthony Gordon's shot wide. Rating: 6
Pau Torres: Returned to the starting lineup and performed adequately in defense. Rating: 6
Lucas Digne: Captained the side but was booked and involved in a controversial handball incident. Rating: 4
Amadou Onana Excelled in midfield, winning duels and drawing fouls. Rating: 7
Douglas Luiz: Provided the assist for Abraham's goal and was active throughout, though booked early. Rating: 6
Leon Bailey: Showed flashes of creativity but his play led to the counter resulting in Bizot's red. Rating: 5
Ross Barkley: Made his first start of the season and adapted to a deeper role after the red card. Rating: 5
Morgan Rogers: Contributed offensively and defensively, including tracking back to block a cross. Rating: 6
Tammy Abraham: Scored the opener and linked play effectively, though denied a second by Thiaw. Rating: 6
Substitute Impact
Emiliano Martínez: Replaced Bizot but struggled with Tonali's free-kick. Rating: 5
Ollie Watkins: Introduced late but had limited opportunities due to Villa being a man down. Rating: 5
Emi Buendía: Forced into defensive duties more than attacking play. Rating: 5
Ian Maatsen and Jadon Sancho: Came on late with minimal impact. Rating: N/A
Unused substitutes included Ezri Konsa, Tyrone Mings, and others, as Villa now shift focus to their Premier League campaign after this cup exit.
