Trippier’s free kick helps Newcastle to 3rd straight EPL win

NEWCASTLE, England: Kieran Trippier scored from a free kick for the second time in six days to fire Newcastle to a 1-0 win over Aston Villa and a third straight Premier League victory on Sunday. The England full back’s 35th-minute goal helped Newcastle move four points clear of the relegation zone on an afternoon when VAR played a key role. Trippier’s decisive effort came after referee Craig Pawson had been advised to change his decision to award a penalty.

The official also had to rule out Ollie Watkins’ equalizer for offside on the advice of VAR. Midtable Villa mounted a concerted second-half fightback, but ultimately was unable to trouble goalkeeper Martin Dubravka enough to prevent his team winning three in a row for the first time since November 2018. Joe Willock sent a 20th-minute shot wide of Emiliano Martinez’s left post after Chris Wood had made a nuisance of himself on the edge of the Villa penalty area and, with Ryan Fraser repeatedly finding space down the left, Newcastle looked marginally the more threatening.

The hosts were awarded a 31st-minute penalty by Pawson after Willock had been tripped by Calum Chambers, but a VAR check revealed contact had taken place inches outside the area. However Trippier, who scored his first goal for the club from a free kick against Everton on Tuesday, repeated the feat with the help of a slight deflection off Emi Buendia’s thigh. Wood sent a 43rd-minute shot well wide after Willock robbed Douglas Luiz and the Newcastle striker deflected John McGinn’s shot just past his own post in stoppage time.