Aston Villa 1 Newcastle 3: Tonali steps up with double, marathon season continues - but where was VAR?

Birmingham, England – A stirring second-half performance from Sandro “The Engine”’ Tonali powered Newcastle United into the Fifth Round of the FA. The Italian midfielder struck twice in 11 minutes to cancel out a controversial opener from Tammy Abraham and set the platform for a 3-1 victory over ten-man Aston Villa at a raucous Villa Park.

The match turned on two moments of officiating controversy, both of which highlighted the absence of Video Assistant Referee technology in the third and fourth rounds of this season’s competition. The first came after 14 minutes when Villa’s Douglas Luiz quickly lifted a free-kick over the top for Abraham, who was clearly ahead of the last defender when the ball was played. The striker chested down and finished clinically, but the goal stood despite the offside. With VAR not in operation, the decision could not be reviewed.

New. Newcastle’s frustration deepened moments before the interval when Marco Bizot raced from his line and felled Jacob Murphy on a breakaway. Referee Chris Kavanagh produced a straight red, reducing Villa to ten men and handing the visitors a numerical advantage for the entire second half.

The equaliser arrived in the 63rd. Tonali, who had been quiet by his own standards, saw a deflected strike from the edge of the area wrong-foot Bizot’s replacement and nestle in the net. The midfielder’s second was pure quality: a 25-yard drive that arrowed into the top-left corner with 76 minutes on the clock. The goal was his first of the season and the first brace of his Newcastle career.

Substitute Nick Woltemade sealed the scoring in stopping-time, converting a low cross for his first goal in 14 appearances. The 3-1 result gives Newcastle just a fifth away victory in all competitions and their first away win over a current top-six side this season.

Manager Eddie Howe, who made six changes to his starting XI, praised his team’s composure after a series of decisions went against them. “It felt like every call was going against us,” he said. “The penalty for handball was clear from where I stood, but we didn’t let it affect us. The character to come back from 1-0 down against a stubborn defensive unit with ten men was excellent.”

The victory extends Newcastle’s season to a minimum of 56 fixtures and keeps alive hopes of a second piece of silverware in successive seasons following last year’s Carabao Cup triumph. The Magpies face a 6,500-mile round-trip to Baku on Wednesday for the first leg of their Champions League play-off against Qarabag, the fifth of eight consecutive away matches across all competitions. Should they advance, a two-legged tie against either Barcelona or Chelsea awaits before the March international break.

For Villa, the exit ends their FA Cup campaign and raises fresh questions about the absence of VAR at this stage of the tournament. The Football Association confirmed last month that the technology would not be used in the third and Fourth rounds to ensure a consistent approach for all clubs. The decision loomed large over a game in which two pivotal calls – Abraham’s offside and a second-half handball by Lucas Digne – went unpunished.

Newcastle’s marathon season marches on, but for the travelling supporters the journey looks increasingly worthwhile.