Aston Villa must stick with exciting front four as Newcastle present opportunity to build momentum

Aston Villa head to St James' Park on Saturday looking to build on an extraordinary Champions League performance against Fenerbahce, and while Newcastle will undoubtedly provide a very different challenge, I think Unai Emery has been given a pretty compelling reason to stick with the same front four that caused so many problems on Wednesday night.

I'm still absolutely buzzing from watching Villa score six goals in the Champions League, and although there are legitimate questions about the quality of Fenerbahce's defending, what encouraged me most was the balance of the attacking players and how naturally they appeared to complement one another. We've spent the opening weeks of the season trying to establish exactly what this rebuilt Villa side is going to look like, and with another difficult Premier League away fixture approaching, I'd like to see Emery give that combination another opportunity to develop.

Newcastle haven't enjoyed the most convincing start to the campaign themselves, and having conceded four goals against Coventry in their previous game, there are clearly defensive vulnerabilities that Villa should be looking to exploit. It's not often you go into a fixture at St James' Park feeling quite so enthusiastic about the attacking possibilities, particularly given Villa's historical difficulties at the ground, but the contrast between Wednesday's six goals and Newcastle's defensive performance gives us plenty of encouragement.

That doesn't mean I'm expecting another six-goal performance, or that Newcastle will defend anything like Fenerbahce did, but I do think there's an opportunity for Villa to approach this game with genuine attacking intent rather than being overly cautious because of the opposition or the venue.

Ibrahim Mbaye is somebody I'd particularly like to see retain his place, because his performance on Wednesday brought qualities to Villa's attack that I've been desperate to see more consistently. Having a player capable of carrying the ball at speed, committing defenders and providing genuine directness makes such a difference, particularly in away games where Villa might spend periods without possession and need to turn defensive situations into attacking opportunities quickly.

I found it refreshing to watch him for almost the entire game against Fenerbahce, and although he's only 18 and will inevitably experience inconsistencies, there's already a maturity to his performances that suggests he understands what Emery expects. His defensive work was particularly encouraging, tracking back and supporting Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who was operating out of position at left-back, and that willingness to contribute without the ball is going to be important against Newcastle.

With Villa's left-back situation far from ideal right now, having an attacking player who is prepared to provide that defensive support could be particularly valuable at St James' Park. Newcastle have players capable of causing problems in wide areas, and Villa will need to make sure that their desire to attack doesn't leave them unnecessarily exposed.

The relationship between Mbaye and Johan Manzambi was another really encouraging feature of Wednesday's performance. I had expected Mbaye to spend more time operating from the right, but he was predominantly used on the left and showed an understanding with Manzambi that already looks remarkably natural. They were comfortable interchanging positions without occupying the same spaces, and I thought that movement contributed enormously to the fluidity of Villa's attacking play.

That could be particularly useful against Newcastle, because I don't think Villa necessarily need their attacking players to operate in fixed positions to cause problems. Having players who can interchange, move into pockets of space and drag defenders into areas they don't particularly want to occupy should give Emery different ways of approaching the game without having to change personnel.

We've seen occasions in previous Villa teams when talented attacking players have wanted to operate in similar areas, sometimes making the side less effective than it should be. Against Fenerbahce, the understanding appeared far more natural, and the prospect of that relationship developing further is one of the biggest reasons why I wouldn't be making unnecessary changes.

Nicolas Jackson is another player who should be heading into this fixture full of confidence. He's already scored five goals, and if he can find the net against Newcastle, we'd be talking about six goals in six games, which would represent an exceptional return and probably exceed even the expectations of those who were most enthusiastic about his arrival.

What I particularly like about Jackson is how his movement can complement the players operating around him. There was a counterattack against Fenerbahce involving Jackson and Mbaye where the speed of the supporting run was exceptional, and although it didn't result in a goal, it demonstrated how dangerous Villa can become when they have players prepared to attack space quickly.

Newcastle's defensive problems should offer opportunities for that sort of movement, particularly if Villa can win possession and transition before the home side have time to reorganise. I don't expect Villa to dominate every period of the game, and there will undoubtedly be moments when Newcastle put us under pressure, but having players who can carry the ball forward and support Jackson at speed gives us a different way of threatening the opposition.

There's also a broader point about how Villa's summer recruitment is beginning to take shape. We lost some enormously important players, and while I've been excited about the business the club completed, it was always going to take time for the new signings to understand Emery's demands and establish relationships with one another.

Several of those replacements have already made encouraging starts individually, but Wednesday was perhaps the clearest example yet of how their qualities might fit together collectively. The pace of the attacking players, the movement between positions and the understanding developing between them offered something beyond simply having a collection of talented footballers.

I don't think Villa are suddenly the finished article, though, and there are still important decisions to be made elsewhere in the side. Ross Barkley appeared to be struggling when he came off against Fenerbahce, and I'd expect João Gomes to come into midfield if Barkley isn't available. Emery also has plenty to consider when it comes to finding the most effective midfield partnership, while the lack of a natural left-back continues to create an additional challenge.

Those issues could become more apparent against Newcastle, who will offer a different level of intensity and physicality, particularly in front of their own supporters. However, there's a distinction between acknowledging the areas Villa still need to improve and changing something that worked particularly well simply because the next opponent presents a more difficult challenge.

Villa have only five points from their opening Premier League fixtures, compared to Newcastle's eight, and although neither club has made the start they would have wanted, I feel considerably more optimistic about where Emery's side are heading than I did a few weeks ago. We've seen throughout his time at the club that his teams are capable of putting together sustained runs of results, and the confidence generated by Wednesday could be important in helping Villa find that consistency.

Newcastle are also trying to integrate a significantly changed squad, and while there are similarities between the situations of the two clubs, I think Villa have recruited with a greater emphasis on players capable of making an immediate contribution. That doesn't guarantee anything on Saturday, but the experience Emery has of rebuilding and adapting his teams gives me confidence that Villa can continue progressing as the season develops.

St James' Park has rarely been a particularly happy hunting ground for Villa, although last season's victory, secured through goals from Emi Buendia and Ollie Watkins, should serve as a reminder that we are capable of going there and getting a result. Newcastle's recent defensive struggles add to the sense that there is an opportunity, even if Villa will need to show considerably more resilience than they have at times during the opening weeks of the league campaign.

I was excited about watching Villa before the Brentford game, particularly after the long international break, because I genuinely believe the squad has been assembled with some really interesting combinations in mind. Wednesday increased that excitement considerably, and now the challenge is to show that the attacking performance wasn't simply an isolated occasion against a vulnerable opponent.

For me, the best way to find that out is to give the same front four another opportunity together. There will be matches when Emery needs to adapt his approach, and there will inevitably be occasions when different combinations are required, but after finally seeing the attacking players produce something so encouraging, I'd be disappointed if we didn't try to build on it immediately.

Newcastle away is a difficult fixture, but it's also an opportunity for Villa to demonstrate that the progress we've seen in Europe can begin translating into Premier League results. I want to see the same attacking intent, the same willingness to carry the ball forward and the same movement that made Wednesday so enjoyable, because if Villa can reproduce even some of those qualities at St James' Park, I think they've got every chance of coming away with three points.