Williamson calls for 'committed' Newcastle performance

Mike Williamson has called on his Newcastle teammates to maintain the same level of focus from midweek against Aston Villa this afternoon.

Williamson, whose team haven't dropped a point at home in 2012, has been vital in Newcastle's recent run after returning from the sidelines in late December.

"We know if we can play our passing game and defend like we did on Wednesday night, we've always got a chance whoever we're playing," he told the club's official website.

"We've got a couple of lads back for it, so that's a good boost. Hopefully we can show the same commitment we did at Blackburn, put in a good performance and end up getting a result."

Newcastle could leapfrog Arsenal and finish the weekend in fifth place with a win over the Villans.