By Carys Baptist
April 17 2004

With Villa going into the game with a run of four unbeaten matches and Newcastle looking for a third win away from home it looks set to be a pulse-racing match.

 Match info

Sunday 18^th April 2004 and Newcastle United FC take on Aston Villa at Villa Park.

The match Kicks off at 14.00 hours and is being shown on Premiership Plus PPV channel.

With Villa going into the game with a run of four unbeaten matches and Newcastle looking for a third win away from home it looks set to be a pulse-racing match.

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League Positions
Villa are currently chasing Newcastle for the fourth spot and are resting in 6^th place whilst Newcastle are sitting in fifth with a points difference. (Newcastle 49 points villa 48 points.) Yet Newcastle have a game in hand and so the points could be made from their match away to Southampton (playing Wednesday 12^th may)
 

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Player Problems
Newcastle United are looking to start without Shola Ameobi or Titus Bramble available for them. Other than that the squad is in fine form, Kieron Dyer is fit and Bowyer is available,  Andy O’Brien is also set to start.
Villa will be without Juan Pablo Angel their leading goal scored due to injury and Nolberto Solano may be available after taking a late fitness test. Gavin McCann has been suffering with an ankle injury keeping him out of training for the past 7 days, and Mark Delaney is fit to play.

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Stats
Newcastle have scored just 5 goals more than Villa this season and conceded 7 less yet both teams have an equal shooting accuracy of 44%. However Newcastle have a higher tackle success rate, a higher pass completion percentage and have committed less fouls.
Both teams start the game having been served just two red cards each but Villa have received 9 more yellow cards.

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