Newcastle lacked the cutting edge of wantaway striker Alexander Isak as they were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw against 10-man Aston Villa.
Isak was left out by Eddie Howe as he continues to push for a move away from St James’ Park, but his absence was keenly felt as the Magpies failed to make their dominance count, even after Villa’s Ezri Konsa was sent off in the 66th minute.
Newcastle created three clear chances inside the opening quarter of an hour, with big-money summer signing Anthony Elanga denied by Marco Bizot before Anthony Gordon twice went close. But Villa, restricted by financial rules in the transfer market, grew stronger after the break, with Boubacar Kamara heading straight at Nick Pope.
The game briefly paused as both sets of fans staged a joint protest against the Premier League’s financial regulations, but the contest sparked back into life when Konsa was dismissed for hauling down Gordon on a Newcastle counter.
Despite the man advantage, Howe’s side rarely troubled Bizot, whose only serious save came from Gordon’s long-range effort. Villa’s resilience meant they extended their unbeaten home league run beyond a year, while Newcastle were left ruing the absence of their unsettled talisman.
At full-time, travelling supporters voiced their frustration at Isak’s transfer stance with chants aimed at the Sweden international.
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