It is an excellent achievement for Aston Villa to have remained unbeaten at Villa Park for as long as they have. Now up to 22 times, an opposing side has entered the fortress, and 22 times they have been unable to leave with the full set of three points.
Against Newcastle United, though, there was not necessarily a desire to celebrate. Especially when considering the anticipation of the season, the performance on the whole did not exactly feel inspiring in terms of something to match the occasion of the beginning of the new campaign.
Still, it is significant for Villa to have defended the home grounds as well and as often as they have consistently. Certainly Unai Emery, as shared on the club's X account, is pleased by the fact that Villa has kept this streak. It further shows how well the side is at home and how difficult it is for the opposition to gain a foothold in B6.
From the opening match, Villa do need to show a little more control within games, particularly at Villa Park, similar to what has been seen from the previous matches.
The red card shifted things. Villa cannot depend on holding on for dear life in order to get through the campaign, though. Although, as is proven through the string of games, it will always be difficult for other sides to be able to get a win at Villa Park.
Added feature needed from Aston Villa
An aspect that also needs to be seen is for Villa to play more aggressively and with a degree of free flow in the attack away from B6. First thing's first: Villa have done well to secure the home grounds and have shown the ability to truly provide a fortress environment.
With a match against Crystal Palace next to end the month of August, Villa will face their next test at home against a side that has often proven to be difficult for Emery's men.