Unai Emery has admitted it is going to be 'very difficult' for his Aston Villa side against Newcastle United as the Spaniard spoke of his 'respect' for the Magpies. Aston Villa go into the Boxing Day clash two places above Newcastle,

Unai Emery has reassured Ollie Watkins of his huge importance to Villa with Jhon Duran having grasped his opportunity as a starter.

Aston Villa head to Newcastle United on Boxing Day hoping to secure their fifth win in the space of six matches in all competitions. After a run of eight games without a win, Villa returned to winning ways with victories over Brentford and Southampton and then followed those successes up with their triumph in Leipzig.

Aston Villa are currently seventh in the league and not enjoying the best of seasons.They have been inconsistent this season and the poor form of striker Ollie Watkins has been a huge concern for

Unai Emery has set sights on fixing Villa’s away form as they prepare for a Boxing Day trip to Newcastle. Saturday’s 2-1 win over Manchester City was Villa’s third on the spin at home in the Premier League but it is a different story on the road, where they have lost four straight.

Unai Emery has challenged Morgan Rogers to produce even more after his starring role in the victory over Man City propelled him back into the headlines. The 22-year-old was by common consensus the best player on the park in Villa’s 2-1 win, turning in a reminder of his huge potential against his former club.

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery expects his in-form side to face a "very difficult" challenge away to Newcastle on Boxing Day.

The Magpies go into Thursday's game following successive 4-0 league wins over Leicester and Ipswich, with Newcastle having also done the double over Villa last season.