Newcastle United put in arguably their worst performance of the season on Saturday against Aston Villa.
The two sides, who met at Villa Park in the Premier League, are both vying for a place in next season’s European competitions and it was the home side who came out on top.
The Villians thumped the Magpies 3-0 largely thanks to an inspired performance from striker Ollie Watkins, who netted a brace after Jacob Ramsey opened the scoring after just 11 minutes.
Never really in the game, Newcastle failed to land a single glove on their Midlands rivals, and their defeat now opens the door in the race for the top four – although a defeat for Tottenham against Bournemouth later in the day did offer the Geordies some reprieve.
Nevertheless, manager Eddie Howe was rightfully bitterly disappointed and wasted no time in reminding his players that no one is too big not to be dropped.
“No one is ever safe at any time because you consistently have to show you deserve to keep the shirt,” the Newcastle boss told reporters after the game, as quoted by the Chronicle.
“That’s what the game is about for me in every moment, whether that’s training or a game. Certainly, today, I’ve got a lot to think about.”
Now with just eight games left to play, and currently sitting third joint on 56 points with Manchester United, Newcastle’s next match could be their most important of the campaign. Scheduled to play Christian Stellini’s out-of-sorts Tottenham on 23 April, the loser of next weekend’s game will undoubtedly see their European hopes suffer a huge blow.