NEWCASTLE UNITED’S five-game winning run came crashing to an end as they were beaten 3-0 by a resurgent Aston Villa, who must now be considered credible rivals for a Champions League spot.

Whereas the Magpies staged a successful second-half revival after being outplayed during the first half at Brentford last weekend, they were unable to stage a repeat at Villa Park.

Instead, Villa dominated from first minute to last as they continued their upward surge under Unai Emery and closed to within six points of Newcastle in the Premier League table.

Jacob Ramsey fired the hosts into the lead in the opening quarter-of-an-hour, with Ollie Watkins adding a second midway through the second half.

The impressive Watkins troubled the Magpies defence all game, and claimed a third Villa goal with six minutes left as he swept home a first-time finish to convert Emi Buendia’s cross.

Eddie Howe’s team selection, which saw Anthony Gordon start ahead of Sean Longstaff, did not work, with Newcastle being sliced apart at regular intervals. Both full-backs, Dan Burn and Kieran Trippier, had torrid afternoons, while the Magpies barely threatened in attack, such was the extent of Villa’s dominance.

Newcastle almost fell behind inside the opening 30 seconds as Villa struck the woodwork from their first attack of the game. Watkins held off Sven Botman after being released into the left-hand side of the penalty area, but his low shot rebounded off the base of the right-hand post.

It was the second game in a row in which the Magpies had benefited from an early let-off as Brentford also hit the post in the opening minute of last weekend’s game at the Gtech Community Stadium.

The Bees had dominated the first half of that game in West London, but even their superiority had not been as pronounced as Aston Villa’s in the early stages here.

The hosts deservedly claimed the lead in the 11th minute, courtesy of a move that started with Leander Dendoncker’s ball into the middle from the right.

Watkins cushioned a header into the path of Ramsey, and the midfielder, who is the brother of Middlesbrough loanee Aaron, fired a crisp first-time finish into the bottom corner.

Newcastle were struggling to get any kind of foothold in the game, and Villa twice went close to doubling their lead before the 20-minute mark.

First, Nick Pope made a good save to keep out Watkins’ low strike after the Villa striker once again found space in the left of the box. Then, after Alex Moreno delivered the ball into the middle from the left, Ramsey lashed a rising drive against the crossbar with Pope beaten.

The one-way traffic continued, with Buendia glancing a header wide after Watkins crossed from the right and Dendoncker firing over from distance after Newcastle’s midfielders failed to close him down.

Unlike at Brentford, Howe opted against making wholesale changes at the interval, but Villa’s dominance continued in the second period.

Watkins exploited space on the right of the Newcastle defence yet again four minutes after the break, but Pope did well to keep out the striker’s low shot with his legs.

Jacob Murphy threatened at the other end moments later, dragging a low shot wide of the far post from just inside the penalty area, and Howe finally turned to his bench in the 55th minute, introducing both Callum Wilson and the fit-again Miguel Almiron.

Newcastle gradually began to threaten after their changes, and Emi Martinez made his first meaningful save of the afternoon on the hour mark as he tipped over Isak’s shot from the edge of the 18-yard box.

Almiron shot into the side-netting moments later, but Villa had the ball in the net for a second time in the 61st minute.

Watkins slotted past Pope after racing onto Dendoncker’s through ball, but a VAR check showed the Villa striker had strayed marginally offside.

Not, however, that he was going to be denied for long. Moreno slid over a low cross from the left in the 64th minute, and after turning away from a struggling Burn, Watkins swept a slick finish past Pope.

With the watching Gareth Southgate sure to have been impressed, Watkins claimed his second goal of the game with six minutes left. Buendia picked him out with a cut-back from close to the byline, and Watkins swept home a first-time strike.