Match Preview :

Newcastle welcomes Aston Villa to St. James Park aimng to qualify for the Champions League if they can finish fourth.

Under Alan Pardew the side have made progress since they were infamously relegated to the Championship in 2008/09 under Chris Hughton.

Now currently in fifth place, Newcastle are in a four-way fight for fourth spot in the Premier League along with Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal.

Aston Villa, meanwhile, are in 12th spot and have gone backwards since the days of Martin O'Neill where they have been regular challengers for Champions League qualification.

Since O'Neill left at the beginning of last season to be succeeded on a short-term basis by Gerard Houllier before the arrival of Alex McLeish in the summer of 2011, they are no longer the side that finished sixth in three successive seasons from 2007/08.

At the moment, Villa find themselves in the bottom half of the Premier League and they will arrive at St James' Park with bad memories of last season's 6-0 thrashing at the hands of the Magpies.

However, Aston Villa are better on their travels this season havign lost just 2 of their last 12 league away games, while they will also hope that their striker Darren Bent, who has scored in four of his last five appearances and now has 100 Premier League goals will find the net here.

Team News :

Newcastle Team News :
Newcastle meanwhile have included Senegal strikers Demba Ba and Papiss Demba Cisse in their side. Fifteen-goal Ba and new signing Cisse are available to start following their country's premature departure from the Africa Cup of Nations, with Cisse in line for a start following his big-money January move from Freiburg.

Midfielder Yohan Cabaye serves the second game of his three-match suspension after being found guilty of violent conduct, while defender Steven Taylor (Achilles) and midfielders Sylvain Marveaux (groin) and Sammy Ameobi (knee) continue to miss out here.

Aston Villa Team News :
Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor is a major fitness doubt with back and hamstring injury.

Winger Marc Albrighton (thigh) and central defender James Collins are also battling to be fit while midfielder Chris Herd misses out with an ankle injury.

Possible lineups

Newcastle : Krul, Simpson, Coloccini, Williamson, Santon, Ben Arfa, Guthrie, R.Taylor, Gutierrez, Shola Ameobi, Ba.

Aston Villa Given, Hutton, Cuellar, Dunne, Warnock, Ireland, Petrov, Clark, N'Zogbia, Keane, Bent.

Predictions

Go for Newcastle to get the win here and continue their good form in recent matches.

The Statistics :

The Pick :

Newcastle 2-0 Aston Villa

FIXED ODDS BETTING :

Go for Newcastle to win here.

HANDICAP BETTING :

Main Bet :
Get on Newcastle to continue their good form and win clearing the -1/2 ball AH at 2.11 with Pinnacle Sports.