Five stats to explain Aston Villa's 1-0 win over Newcastle: Kamara is back
Aston Villa’ 1-0 win against Newcastle was both a tremendous team effort and also featured some strong individual performances.
Let’s dive into the numbers to find five stats which tell the story of the game:
Villa up for the fight
St. James’ Park is always a very tough place to win as an away side, and visitors know they must be up for a battle if they want to walk away with three points. Villa were up for it, and outfought Newcastle on their own pitch.
Five Villa players won at least 60% of their ground duels on Saturday: Boubacar Kamara won 63% (ten out of 16), Emi Buendia won 69% (nine of 13), John McGinn won 60% (six of ten), and Johan Manzambi and Ibrahim Mbaye both won 80% (four of five).
No Newcastle player involved in four or more ground duels won 60% of them, and only Lewis Hall more than half (55%, six of ten).
Boubacar Kamara is back
If there was any doubt remaining over Kamara’s influence on this team, his display against Newcastle banished it.
The Frenchman had 17 defensive contributions across the 90 minutes. No other player on either side had more than 12.
Everyone knows the impact Kamara can have in possession, dictating the pace from the number six position. On Saturday he showed his ability to break up the game and compete physically.
Defensive solidity
Despite the waves of Newcastle pressure near the end of the game, which Villa somewhat brought upon themselves with a more sloppy second half performance, they limited the hosts to very few real chances.
Newcastle had only one shot on target, and their expected goals (xG) total of 0.92 is the second-lowest amount conceded by Villa in a game this season, only bettered by the Hull City game when Emery’s side allowed just 0.81 xG.
After some exciting attacking displays of late, it was important Villa showed they can also win on the back of a solid defensive structure.
The Iceman stays cool
Victor Lindelof has been a revelation since arriving at Villa on a free transfer last August, whether it is filling in as a central midfielder or showing the kind of defensive prowess that made him a sought-after centre-back when he signed for Manchester United all those years ago.
Against Newcastle, Lindelof made 11 clearances, which was five more than any other player on the pitch. Seven of those were headers, with no other player managing more than four headed clearances.
Considering he is not a physically imposing figure, Lindelof’s strength in defending the box is impressive, and he continues to be invaluable in the centre of Villa’s defense.
Mbaye’s spark
Villa had numerous moments where they could have put Newcastle out of their misery, and Ibrahim Mbaye was at the heart of many of them after coming on as a substitute.
Mbaye had more successful dribbles (three) than any other player for either side, despite only playing 25 minutes. He fired over after a great first touch put him in position to potentially score, and later went on a mazy run before being unfortunate to pull his reversed shot just wide.
Whether it is from the start or off the bench, his ability to beat defenders and create chances out of nothing is going to be extremely helpful for Villa this season.
