“Aston Villa, it’s happened again,” the St James’ crowd sang towards the end. Newcastle were physical, hostile and debated every decision, preying on the low foul threshold the referee set. In the first 28 minutes, before the sending-off, there were 11 fouls.

Newcastle United beat Aston Villa 3-0 on Boxing Day, but the game was overshadowed by a 20-man tunnel melee at St James' Park at half-time - where both sides' analysts were sent off

Newcastle United climbed to fifth in the Premier League with an undisputed 3-0 victory over Aston Villa in a very entertaining Boxing Day match at St. James’ Park.