Newcastle United host Aston Villa at St. James' Park, Newcastle-upon-Tyne in Gameweek 7 on Sat 17 Oct, 17:30 BST. Newcastle United are 11th on 8 points from 6 games (form WDLWL), Aston Villa are 16th on 5 (form LDLWD). The FPL deadline is Saturday 17 October 2026, 11:00 BST, so check team news before you lock your squad.
Newcastle United: form check
Newcastle United have scored 10 and conceded 13 in 6 league games, and last time out it was L 1–4 at Coventry City in GW6. At home they have 5 points from 3 games. Official FPL list, 2026-10-14: Elanga (unspecified injury: Unknown return date). Expected shape: 3-5-2.
Newcastle United Predicted Starting XI & Lineup · 3-5-2
Official lineups confirmed 1 hour before kick-off.
Aston Villa: the story so far
Aston Villa have scored 6 and conceded 11 in 6 league games, and last time out it was D 2–2 v Brentford in GW6. Away from home they have 4 points from 3 games. Official FPL list, 2026-10-14: George Hemmings (knee injury: 75% chance of playing); Maatsen (ankle injury: Unknown return date). Expected shape: 4-5-1.
Season snapshot
- Newcastle United: L 1–4 at Leeds United, W 2–1 v Hull City, L 1–4 at Coventry City.
- Aston Villa: L 1–2 v Nottingham Forest, W 3–2 at Tottenham Hotspur, D 2–2 v Brentford.
- Table before this round: Newcastle United 11th (8 pts, GD -3), Aston Villa 16th (5 pts, GD -5).
Key battle
Harvey Barnes against Aston Villa's defence is the matchup to watch: Aston Villa have conceded 11 in 6. In the other direction, Johan Manzambi faces the Newcastle United defence that has conceded 13 in 6. FPL rates this fixture 3/5 for Newcastle United and 3/5 for Aston Villa, where 5 is hardest.
Names to know
- Harvey Barnes (Newcastle United, £6.1m): averaging 5.0 points a game (30 in total), FPL projects 4.3 for this round, 8.2% owned.
- Johan Manzambi (Aston Villa, £5.9m): averaging 6.3 points a game (19 in total), FPL projects 9.0 for this round, 1.0% owned.
- John McGinn (Aston Villa, £5.4m): averaging 4.5 points a game (27 in total), FPL projects 8.0 for this round, 2.5% owned.
- Clean-sheet angle: Lewis Hall (Newcastle United, £5.3m) at home, with Newcastle United the side our model rates less likely to concede (1.4 expected goals against).
- Differential: Emiliano Buendía (Aston Villa, £5.9m) is owned by just 1.2% and averages 4.2 points a game.
Our call
Our model, built on 2026/27 goals scored and conceded, gives Newcastle United a 52% win chance, a draw 21% and Aston Villa 26%, with 2–1 the single most likely scoreline. Expected goals: 2.0 for Newcastle United, 1.4 for Aston Villa. Newcastle United are the lean on the numbers, but only 6 games have been played, so treat it as a guide rather than a certainty.