Aston Villa skipper issues rallying call ahead of Newcastle showdown
John McGinn has called on Villa supporters to bring the noise once more for Saturday’s showdown with Newcastle.
The visit of the Magpies is the first of two huge matches for Unai Emery’s team in the space of four days in their bid to secure a top-five Premier League finish and secure a swift return to the Champions League.
Villa, who also visit Manchester City on Tuesday, head into the match having won nine of their last 10 matches in all competitions, including the last four in the league.
But the Magpies are also in blistering form, with Wednesday’s 5-0 thrashing of Crystal Palace extending their winning league run to five matches and lifting them up to third in the table.
McGinn described the atmosphere in Tuesday’s Champions League exit to Paris Saint-Germain as the loudest he has ever known at Villa Park.
And the skipper says the fans will be needed again if they are to shoot down the Magpies.
He said: “They have been with us all the way. I know it is not easy. Paris, Southampton and then back here on Tuesday night.
“They will be with us on Saturday. We are going to need the same atmosphere. It is going to be a really tough game on Saturday and I can’t emphasise how important it is.”
The statistics heading into the match bear some eerie parallels with the same fixture two years ago this month.
Just as then, Villa had won four league matches on the spin and Newcastle five, leading Magpies striker to warn the fire brigade was on its way. Ollie Watkins scored twice as Emery’s team secured a 3-0 win, with McGinn later quipping the fire brigade “must have been on strike”.
Newcastle have gone on to win the last three meetings between the clubs by an aggregate score of 11-2, including a 3-1 victory at Villa Park last season which ended the home side’s 17-match unbeaten home run in the league.
Villa are currently unbeaten in 18 home matches in all competitions, with their only home league loss this season coming against Arsenal last August.
“Even though (Tuesday night) was a loss over two legs, it was another win on the night,” said McGinn.
“Our record here this season is amazing and I think the fans were up for it from the first minute.
“It went a bit flat for a spell but they didn’t give up on us. They knew how hard the game was, how difficult it was.
“When those goals went in, close after each other, it is the loudest I have ever heard it here by far. Hopefully we have many more nights like this to come.”
Emery is again expected to have a fully fit squad to choose from, after Leon Bailey returned as an unused substitute in the second leg with PSG.
