Daijiworld Media Network - Birmingham

Birmingham, Aug 16: Newcastle United were left ruing missed chances as they played out a 0-0 draw against ten-man Aston Villa in their Premier League 2025/26 season opener at Villa Park on Saturday.

Despite dominating the first half and enjoying a man advantage for the final 25 minutes following Ezri Konsa’s red card, Eddie Howe’s side failed to break the deadlock in a frustrating result for the visitors.

Newcastle looked the more dangerous side from the outset. Debutant Anthony Elanga had a golden opportunity just two minutes in, only to be denied by Villa’s new goalkeeper Marco Bizot. Anthony Gordon, playing as a central striker rather than his usual left-wing role, also missed a close-range header from a Harvey Barnes cross. Elanga continued to threaten, volleying wide at the far post, while Gordon forced Bizot into another save with a deflected effort.

Villa struggled early but came to life after the break. Boubacar Kamara tested Nick Pope with a header from a John McGinn cross, and Ollie Watkins forced another save after a neat setup by Morgan Rogers. Pope, preferred over new signing Aaron Ramsdale, was solid between the sticks.

The game’s decisive moment came in the 66th minute when Elanga split the defence with a through ball to Gordon, who was brought down by Konsa as he bore down on goal. The Villa defender was shown a straight red card for denying a clear scoring opportunity.

Newcastle increased their intensity, with Barnes seeing a volley blocked by Matty Cash, but despite sustained pressure, they could not find a way past Villa’s determined defence.

The Magpies will see this as two points dropped given their dominance and numerical advantage, while Villa can take pride in their resilience to secure a hard-earned draw and begin their campaign with a valuable point.