Newcastle United earned their first point of the new Premier League season on Saturday with a 0-0 draw away to Aston Villa.
Both teams created plenty of chances throughout the course of the match, but a lack of finishing saw the game end without a goal.
Newcastle were forced to finish the afternoon with 10 men following Mike Williamson's sending off, though they were able to withstand a late surge from Villa, who remain unbeaten after two games.
Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the action between the two teams at Villa Park.
Match statistics
Aston Villa
Shots: 9
On target: 0
Possession: 40%
Corners: 7
Fouls: 11
Newcastle
Shots: 11
On target: 4
Possession: 60%
Corners: 7
Fouls: 8
Was the result fair?
While both teams showed plenty of attacking intent, it was a lack of quality in the final third that saw them end all square. Overall, it would have been unfair on either side to come away with anything less than a point.
Aston Villa's performance
Villa manager Paul Lambert should be pleased that his team has taken four points from their opening two matches of the campaign, though he will be mildly worried that they failed to register a shot on target against Newcastle. They certainly had their share of the chances, but some woeful finishing meant that they had to settle for a share of the spoils. That said, the hosts did their best to take the match to the Magpies. They were solid defensively, while their trademark counter-attacking football had the visitors worried on more than one occasion. Despite there being room for improvement, this can be classed as a positive start to the season for the Villans.
Newcastle's performance
Similar to Villa, Newcastle did lots of positive things bar put the ball in the back of the net. The Magpies back four was very organised, while Remy Cabella yet again showed that he could well become a hero on Tyneside thanks to another imaginative and dynamic display. Alan Pardew can take plenty of heart from the performance of his side, but two games without a goal hints at a deeper malaise. Emmanuel Riviere looks to be struggling to adapt to the Premier League, and there is not enough creativity coming from midfield. The season may be just one week old, but Newcastle are in need of a win in their next league match when they welcome Crystal Palace to St James' Park.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Daryl Janmaat:
The Dutch full-back was vastly improved following last weekend's defeat to Manchester City, offering his team a good attacking outlet out wide and doing his bit defensively as well. He even had a couple of cracks at goal himself, showing that he is full of confidence and enjoying life in the Premier League.
Biggest gaffe
Remy Cabella had a glorious chance to give Newcastle the lead in the first half when the ball fell to him inside the Villa box, but the Frenchman lost his feet at the vital moment before poking the ball impotently wide of goal.
Referee performance
Mike Dean was not afraid to show his cards during what occasionally turned into a feisty encounter, though he was in firm control for the large part. His biggest decision came towards the end of the match when he sent off Mike Williamson - a decision that was spot on and provoked no complaints.
What next?
Aston Villa: Villa feature in the second round of the League Cup on Wednesday with the visit of Leyton Orient.
Newcastle: The Magpies start their League Cup campaign on Tuesday when they make the trip to Gillingham in the second round.
Jack Prescott
