A masterful Ollie Watkins performance helped Aston Villa end Newcastle's five-game winning run with a deserved 3-0 win that enhanced their hopes of a European spot.
Watkins was a thorn in Newcastle's side throughout and set the tone by hitting the post inside 28 seconds, in a game where previously free-flowing Newcastle stuttered and stumbled at Villa Park, as the hosts moved six points off fourth
The visitors never got to grips with the movement of the 27-year-old, in front of the watching Gareth Southgate, and his superb header on the stretch teed up Jacob Ramsey to fire in an emphatic opener after 10 minutes.
Newcastle were fortunate to go in at half-time only a goal behind after Ramsey also rattled the crossbar, but were two behind shortly after the hour mark when Watkins spun in the area to fire past Nick Pope, moments after he had been denied by a narrow VAR offside call.
That decision may have denied him a hat-trick in the end, as the England hopeful added his second of the day in the last 10 minutes by finishing off Emi Buendia's low cross.
Villa's fifth league win in a row guarantees them sixth position, while Newcastle's top-four hopes took a blow with both Man Utd and Tottenham now capable of leapfrogging them later this weekend.
