Last season, breaking the monopoly of the Premier League BIG6, beating Manchester United, Tottenham and Chelsea to finish fourth, and returning to the Champions League after 20 years, Newcastle, an old English powerhouse, has strength and money, and among all the owners of football clubs, the current owner of the Magpies may be the richest.
This season, it is supposed that Newcastle should have some improvements, but at the moment they are not progressing but retreating. The Champions League is at the bottom of the group stage, and it is difficult for the Premier League to enter the top six.
Newcastle is in a slump, and even Brighton, which once overshadowed Newcastle, is now in a slump, but there are other forces that impact the BIG6 pattern, Everton, and now West Ham United, all want to become such a force, but they can't catch it, and Emery's Aston Villa is such a force, they not only want to fight for the fourth, but even theoretically can compete for the title.
Newcastle v Nottingham Forest
Nature of competition: 2023-24 Premier League round 19
Match time: 12.26.20:30
In the first 18 rounds, Newcastle has 9 wins, 2 draws, 7 losses and 29 points, ranking seventh in the Premier League standings, 7 points behind the fourth Tottenham, it seems that the gap is not very big, it is actually very difficult to get into the top four, the competition is too fierce, even the defending champion Manchester City is now squeezed out of the top four, of course, Manchester City because of the Club World Cup, the 18th round of the league has been postponed.
Nottingham Forest, which is far more brilliant than Newcastle in history, ranks 17th with 14 points from 18 games, 3 wins, 5 draws and 10 losses, only 2 points more than Luton in the relegation zone, and Luton has 1 game less. It's been a long time since they left the Premier League, and Nottingham Forest still have a long way to go before they can get back to being a strong team.
Newcastle last 10 games, 3 wins, 2 draws and 5 losses, this recent record really does not look like a strong team, after the bottom of the Champions League group, the League Cup 1/4 finals penalty shootout loss to Chelsea out, back to the Premier League away 0:1 loss to promoted Luton Town.
Nottingham Forest has 1 win, 2 draws and 7 losses in the last 10 games, a real weak team level, the Premier League has lost in the last 2 rounds, and only scored 1 point in the last 7 rounds. The current situation is already very dangerous.
In the last 10 meetings between the two sides, Newcastle have the upper hand with 5 wins, 2 draws and 3 losses.
The Magpies' home stadium is still trustworthy, and with the lack of strength of their opponents, their recent results are poor.
Manchester United vs Aston Villa
Nature of competition: 2023-24 Premier League round 19
Match time: 12.27.4:00
Manchester United has 28 points from 18 games, 9 wins, 1 draw and 8 losses, ranking eighth in the Premier League standings, 2 points behind sixth-place West Ham United, and 8 points less than fourth-place Tottenham.
Aston Villa has 39 points in 18 games, 12 wins, 3 draws and 3 losses, 1 point behind the leader Arsenal, and the same points as the second-place Liverpool, with a disadvantage in goal difference. Judging from the recent results, Emery's team can shout the slogan of competing for the championship, but the strength and heritage may still be a lot worse, and the BIG6 is unlikely to drop the chain at the same time, and it is unlikely that the "miracle" like Leicester City will be repeated.
Manchester United has 3 wins, 2 draws and 5 losses in the last 10 games, the same as Newcastle, 1 draw and 3 losses in the last 4 games, except for the 0:3 defeat to Bournemouth at home in the 16th round of the Premier League, 0-1 Bayern in the Champions League, 0-0 Liverpool in the Premier League, 0-2 West Ham, are normal. The Premier League's recent record has been unstable, and whoever meets Bayern in the Champions League may lose.
Villa have won 7 and drawn 3 in the last 10 games, and the Premier League has drawn with weak teams twice in the last 2 years, 2:2 Bournemouth away, 1:1 Sheffield United at home, otherwise it is Villa who is now leading the Premier League standings.
In the last 10 meetings between the two sides, Manchester United has the upper hand with 5 wins, 2 draws and 3 losses.
In this game, it will not be easy for anyone to beat the other side, and although Villa are on the rise, Ten Hag's side have been embattled and a draw is the most likely.