Aston Villa vs. Newcastle United: Unai Emery's side looking to end 20-year streak in Premier League opener

Aston Villa will be looking to end a 20-year streak when they face Newcastle United on Saturday afternoon.

Unai Emery takes his side into the new Premier League campaign looking to bounce back from the disappointment of failing to finish in last season's top five.

As a result, it was their upcoming opponents that earned a spot in the Champions League ahead of them and both teams are expected to be in the mix once again during 2025-26.

Both clubs head into Saturday's meeting in the West Midlands with plenty of work still to do in the transfer market, particularly Newcastle who have Alexander Isak unavailable due to his stance over a transfer away from St James' Park.

Therefore, Villa will feel in prime position to bring to an end a streak that has lasted since the 2004-05 season.

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What streak can Villa end against Newcastle?

In the corresponding fixture from the campaign in April, Villa stormed to a 4-1 victory over their North East opponents on home territory.

Should they be able to record another maximum return this week, it will represent the first time in 20 years that they have posted back-to-back Premier League wins over Newcastle.

Emery will feel confident about his players delivering in their first competitive game of the season with Villa having registered five triumphs in their last six home league games against this opponent.

However, it has been nine years since Villa last recorded opening-day wins in successive seasons, Emery overseeing a 2-1 success at West Ham United this time last year.

Furthermore, Villa have incredibly put together a 21-match unbeaten run at their home ground in all competitions, a startling statistic when you take into account the likes of Bayern Munich, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain visiting their Birmingham base during that period.

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Are any stats in Newcastle's favour?

On the flip side, Newcastle will be determined to make yet another fast start to a season having prevailed in their most recent opening-day encounters.

One of those fixtures came against Villa at St James' Park, with Newcastle running out 5-1 victors on that occasion.

That said, it should be noted that Newcastle suffered back-to-back defeats at the end of 2024-25, failing to score in either match against Arsenal and Everton.