Back to back wins have all but secured Premier League football for another year on Tyneside. The Magpies are now 11 points clear of the relegation zone with eight games remaining and sit just two points below the top half.
Considering the Premier League is without Middlesbrough and Sunderland this season, Aston Villa is arguably the club's biggest rivals in the Premier League following their unprovoked taunting of Newcastle fans in 2009 and 2016.
However, on a positive note, Villa have never won at St. James' Park since the famous 3-0 defeat against them in April 2005 when teammates Kieron Dyer and Lee Bowyer had a punch up with each other. Both were sent off as a result. Not to mention that Steven Taylor was sent off shortly before the incident for a handball on the line so Graeme Sounness' side finished the game with eight players, planting themselves into the record books for the joint most players sent off in a Premier League match for an individual team.
One key highlight of this fixture came back in August 2010 when Newcastle marked their return to Premier League football in spectacular style thanks to a 6-0 thrashing of Villa in the first home game in the Premier League since Villa themselves relegated the Magpies to the Championship in May the previous year. Notably, in the 14 matches between the two sides since that game, no team has managed to score more than two goals past each other in a game.
As we head towards the final hurdles of the season, the pressure is on Dean Smith's side to get a result. They have had a terrible 2020 so far and have lost six of their last seven matches, contributing to their downfall from mid table to 19th place. A win for Newcastle on Wednesday evening would take them into the top half of the table and also heap the misery on Villa fans as their chances of the dreaded drop and immediate return to the Championship would increase.
Facts and Figures
All Competitions
Newcastle wins: 71
Aston Villa wins: 56
Draws: 37
Premier League
Newcastle wins: 22
Aston Villa wins: 16
Draws: 7
Premier League at St. James' Park
Newcastle wins: 15
Draws: 6
Aston Villa: 2
Previous ten (all competitions)
Newcastle wins: 5 (10 goals)
Draws: 4
Aston Villa wins: 1 (6 goals)
League Record
Home: Played: 78, Won: 49 (63%), Drawn: 15, Lost: 14, Goals for: 164, Goals against: 90, Goal difference: +74, Pts: 162 (69%).
Away: Played: 79, Won: 20 (25%), Drawn: 21, Lost: 38, Goals for: 81, Goals against: 138, Goal difference: -57, Pts: 81 (34%).
First met in the league: 1898/99
Doubles achieved: 11
Doubles conceded: 9
Last home win: Newcastle United 2 (Yoan Gouffran 42, Henri Lansbury own goal 59) Aston Villa 0 - 20/02/2017 - Championship.
Last home draw: Newcastle United 1 (Fabricio Coloccini 38) Aston Villa 1 (Jordan Ayew 61) - 19/12/2015 - Championship.
Last home defeat: Newcastle United 0 Aston Villa 3 (Juan Pablo Angel 5, Gareth Barry pen 73, pen 80) - 02/05/2005 - Premier League.
Aston Villa's Last 10 (W2, D2, L6)
18/01: Brighton (a), Premier League, Drew 1-1, 22 points - 18th place.
21/01: Watford (h), Premier League, Won 2-1, 25 points - 16th place.
28/01: Leicester (h), EFL Cup Semi-Final 2nd Leg, Won 2-1 (Won 3-2 on aggreagte).
01/02: Bournemouth (a), Premier League, Lost 1-2, 25 points - 17th place.
16/02: Tottenham (h), Premier League, Lost 2-3, 25 points - 17th place.
22/02: Southampton (a), Premier League, Lost 0-2, 25 points - 17th place.
01/03: Man City (n), EFL Cup Final, Lost 1-2.
09/03: Leicester (a), Premier League, Lost 0-4, 25 points - 19th place.
17/06: Sheffield United (h), Premier League, Drew 0-0, 26 points - 19th place.
21/06: Chelsea (h), Premier League, Lost 1-2, 25 points - 19th place.
Average placing last 20 years: 14th (14th in the Premier League).
Biggest win: Newcastle United 6 - 0 Aston Villa - Premier League (22/08/2010).
Biggest defeat: Newcastle United 0 - 3 Aston Villa - Premier League (02/04/2005).