“Monsters” - Chris Sutton predicts Newcastle’s trip to Aston Villa

Chris Sutton expects a “cracking game” between Aston Villa and Newcastle United as the two sides competing for a qualification spot in the Champions League meet on Saturday.

The 17:30 kick-off will see “momentum monsters” Newcastle look to extend their winning run to seven against Unai Emery’s side who fought hard but nevertheless succumbed to an exit against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarter-final.

Newcastle can move eight points ahead of Villa and within one of second-placed Arsenal, who play on Sunday, in a game that will have mass ramifications on the hosts top five ambitions.

Sutton predicts Newcastle to extend winning run

Newcastle will use their momentum to edge past Aston Villa in a game of fine margins, predicts Chris Sutton for BBC Sport.

Harvey Barnes and Jacob Murphy will be influential on the wings for Newcastle, and Sutton expects Marco Asensio to be equally impactful for Villa.

“Newcastle are the Premier League’s momentum monsters, especially since winning the Carabao Cup, but their excellent form goes back further than that,” he said.

“Seventh-placed Aston Villa are also in great shape, on a run of four successive league wins, and although they lost the tie overall, they were sensational in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Paris St-Germain.

“Villa’s comeback on the night, to win 3-2 after falling 2-0 down, took me by surprise but they really showed what they are made of. I think PSG will win this season’s Champions League, but Villa pushed them all the way.

“This is going to be a cracking game, and also a feisty one with what is at stake in the top-five race.

“Who or what decides it might come down to fine margins, and who makes the most of their chances, because both teams are going to get opportunities.

“Villa will score, whoever they play up top, although maybe they should take Marco Asensio off penalties. He missed two spot-kicks last weekend against Southampton after I told everyone to watch out for him on the Fantasy 606 pod, which sums up my FPL season and predicting ability in one fell swoop.

“You could make an argument for both teams here, but I am going with Newcastle, because of how good they were when I watched them at St James’ Park on Wednesday to beat Palace 5-0.

“Harvey Barnes was electric, just unbelievably good down the left, and the same goes for Jacob Murphy on the other flank – his opening goal was absolutely amazing, because who shoots from there?

“With those two playing the way they are, Newcastle are going to keep on winning.”

Sutton’s prediction: Aston Villa 1 Newcastle United 2

Sutton praises Toon duo

The former Celtic and Blackburn forward, who highlighted Barnes and Murphy in his prediction for Saturday’s game, also gave high praise to the duo after their contributions against Palace.

Murphy was a general threat throughout. He opened the scoring with a ridiculous finish from an insanely tight angle, before curling a cross from a deep free-kick into the box for Fabian Schar to nod home using the pace of the ball to guide it past Dean Henderson.

Marc Guehi turned Barnes cross into his own net, the winger then latched onto Sandro Tonali’s elastic forward pass before charging forward and netting his fourth goal in three games.

Sutton took to X to write: “Newcastle dismantled Palace. Jacob Murphy and Harvey Barnes the best two wide players in the Premier League right now.”