Premier League preview: Newcastle v Aston Villa

3 Februar 2012 02:53

Newcastle will welcome back top-scorer Demba Ba into their side as they host Aston Villa in the English Premier League on Sunday.

Newcastle will welcome back top-scorer Demba Ba into their side as they host Aston Villa in the English Premier League on Sunday.

Ba, who has bagged 15 goals for the club this term, has returned early from Africa Cup of Nations duty after Senegal were knocked out of the tournament following the group stages.

Ba's national team-mate, Papiss Demba Cisse, who signed for Newcastle for a reported fee of nine million pounds from Freiburg, could be in line to make his debut.

And that news has given Newcastle boss Alan Pardew a positive outlook ahead of the clash at St James' Park.

"That's just going to bolster us for Sunday," Pardew said of the duo's arrival.

"We've done brilliantly. When the guys (Ba and Cisse) went away everybody thought it was going to be difficult for us, and we've had games where it hasn't gone well."

"But we've had two big victories, QPR and this one (Blackburn), and both those victories have been about resolve and diligence and grit, and I think we can attack the second half of the season."

Newcastle's 2-0 win at Blackburn on Wednesday sent them fifth on the Premier League table, ahead of Arsenal and Liverpool.

But Pardew is not getting carried away with his side's form, despite the possibility of what would be a remarkable top-four finish and subsequent Champions League berth.

"It's incredible really but we're safe as well, and that's the big barrier," he said.

"We must never get away from that, the type of club we are, get that under your belt first, which we have, so now we have the games we've got left to let our hair down and see what we can do."

Aston Villa will not have happy memories of their last visit to Newcastle, which resulted in a 6-0 thumping in August 2010, thanks to an Andy Carroll hat-trick.

But none of the players who scored on that day are still at Newcastle, a fact that shows just how much change has happened at the club over the last year and a half.

Villa's away form has been impressive of late, with three wins and two draws from their last five assignments on the road.

Alex McLeish's side may sit 12th but if it were not for the form of Darren Bent, they could be much lower, with the striker having bagged four goals in his last four matches.

They will be hoping to welcome Gabriel Agbonlahor back from a hamstring injury, although Sunday's fixture will be too soon for the returns of Marc Albrighton (thigh) and Chris Herd (ankle).

Newcastle's long-term absentees, Shola Ameobi (knee), Steven Taylor (Achilles) and Sylvain Marveaux (groin), are still unavailable.