Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.
Ross Barkley believes a confidence-boosting win over Fenerbahce in the Champions League could be the result Aston Villa needed to kickstart their Premier League season.
Villa recorded their biggest ever win in major European competition on Wednesday with a 6-0 win at Villa Park, with Barkley scoring twice during the second half.
Johan Manzambi marked his debut in the Champions League with a goal, while two strikes from the in-form Nicolas Jackson had Unai Emery’s side cruising going into the break.
Barkley then tucked away a 68th-minute penalty before bringing up his brace soon after, with Tammy Abraham’s close-range finish adding further gloss to the scoreline late on.
However, the Villans’ attention now turns to the Premier League, with a trip to St. James’ Park to face Newcastle United up next as they aim to secure their second league victory of the season.
Villa are 16th in the league ahead of matchday seven, though Barkley is confident their form will start to improve.
“It was a great performance overall by the team, and we needed this result,” Barkley said.
“We’re still gelling, we’ve got loads of new players, we’re all getting on the same page on the training pitch, and we worked well.
“We’ve got loads of top players in the squad, new additions, and it was nice to play in the game and chip in with a couple of goals to build some confidence within the team.
“Maybe it surprises teams here, with the atmosphere. It’s intense. The fans get behind us if we win our duels, and that’s why John McGinn is so key for us.
“He wins duels, gets us going, he’s passionate, and he lifts the fans and the team. We were fantastic today, and hopefully we can keep building on that.”
— Aston Villa (@AstonVilla) October 14, 2026
While Villa are riding the crest of a wave, Newcastle come into the clash off the back of a disappointing 4-1 defeat to newly-promoted Coventry City earlier this week.
Jack Rudoni and Sidiki Cherif had Coventry two goals in front early in the second half before a thunderbolt from Sven Botman threatened a comeback for the Magpies.
However, two goals in five minutes from Ellis Simms and Stephen Mfuni sealed the win for the Sky Blues, with Matthias Jaissle’s side missing the chance to go fourth in the table.
The result saw Newcastle concede 4+ goals in back-to-back Premier League away games for the first time since December 2012 (4-3 loss to Man Utd, 7-3 loss to Arsenal), though Nico Gonzalez believed the scoreline flattered Coventry.
“We had clear chances to draw. We improved on many things, but there are things we have to work on,” Nico told Sky Sports.
“I think it’s normal in this league that there are always goals in the last minute. Everyone goes forward, and it’s hard to keep defending as well as the first minutes.
“The result is not what happened in the game. I’ve seen so many games where it’s 2-1 and you draw. I don’t feel concerned. We’ve done many things right.
“It’s clear what we have to improve. It’s easy to work on because we know the things we need to do better. If we improve them, I’m sure we’ll have a great season.”
Barnes has been involved in 10 goals in 13 Premier League games against Villa (six goals, four assists), his joint-most against an opponent, along with West Ham.
He only has more Premier League goals against Leeds United (seven), and you feel his influence will be key in Newcastle’s attempts to get back to winning ways.
Jackson is a player full of confidence after his brace against Fenerbahce saw him become the first player to score in as many as four of his first five Champions League starts since Sebastien Haller in December 2021 (all five).
The Senegal international has also scored in his last two Premier League games, only netting in three in a row once in the competition (May 2024 for Chelsea).
A man in the hottest form Your #UCL Player of the Match: NICOLAS JACKSON! @adidas || #UpTheVilla https://t.co/C0ePx6SItB
— Aston Villa (@AstonVilla) October 15, 2026
MATCH PREDICTION: NEWCASTLE UNITED WIN
Despite being favoured by the Opta supercomputer, Newcastle are winless in their last three Premier League games against Villa (D1 L2), losing 2-0 in their most recent game. They haven’t lost consecutive games against them since losing both games in 2004-05.
Newcastle have also gone 12 consecutive Premier League games without a clean sheet at St James’ Park, last having a longer run without a shutout between December 1998 and August 1999 under Ruud Gullit (13 games).
The Magpies have conceded 13 Premier League goals this season, their third-most after six matches after 1999-00 (18) and 2021-22 (14), going on to finish 11th in both seasons. Only Chelsea (36) have faced more shots on target this season than Newcastle (34).
Villa won 2-0 in their last away Premier League game against Newcastle. They haven’t won consecutive league visits to St James’ since a run of three between 1955-56 and 1957-58.
But Villa’s defence has also been an issue. They have conceded 11 goals in six Premier League games this season, their most at this stage of a top-flight season since 1986-87 (16), when they eventually finished bottom.
It could also be a landmark day for Villa boss Emery. He has won 99 of his 196 Premier League games (D44 L53). Victory here would make him the joint-ninth fastest manager to 100 wins in the competition.
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