Glorious Ings volley helps Villa to 2-0 win over Newcastle

Updated: May 17, 2023, 12:04 am

A brilliant volley by Danny Ings and an Anwar El Ghazi penalty gave Aston Villa an easy 2-0 victory over a poor Newcastle United side in the Birmingham club's first home game of the Premier League season on Saturday.

Newcastle striker Callum Wilson wasted a good early chance before Ings put Villa in front just before the break, throwing himself in the air and volleying home a flick-on from a long throw in first-half stoppage time.

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Things went from bad to worse for the visitors in the second half when defender Jamaal Lascelles was penalised after a goal-bound header from Tyrone Mings hit him on the arm, and El Ghazi confidently fired home the resulting penalty in the 62nd minute.

Newcastle thought they were back in it when Wilson was cleaned out in the box by Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez, but the referee's decision to award a penalty was overturned after the Newcastle striker was found to have been offside when the ball was played forward.

Anwar El Ghazi made the game safe as Aston Villa overcame Newcastle.
Alex Morton/Getty Images

Newcastle failed to find the spark that might have ignited a comeback, slumping to their second defeat of the season following their 4-2 opening day loss to West Ham United, leaving them second from bottom of the standings.

Ings has now scored twice in two league games for Villa since arriving from Southampton in the summer, putting the Birmingham side in eighth spot in the table. 

"I can't tell you about the routine, that would be giving a lot away, It's just something we work on -- set pieces are a huge thing now in the Premier League, and ultimately they can make the difference in these games," Ings said.

"It fell to me and I reacted, and luckily it went in the back of the net."

"We had to deal with balls in behind with their pace, but a great finish from Danny Ings and a set-piece routine we worked on in preseason. That is what we brought Ings in for," Villa boss Dean Smith told the BBC.