Unai Emery must be sick to his back teeth of Newcastle United in his perfect world. Adored by the Aston Villa devotees, the Magpies keep raining on his swaggering parade.

Last season as Villa stormed the parapets of the Champions League United, the club Emery turned down, destroyed them home and away and this time a Boxing Day punch up ended with the Clarets spectacularly knocked out 3-0.

United's stunning 5-1 victory on the opening of the last campaign was followed by an equally eye opening 3-1 double at Villa Park. That's an astonishing aggregate of eight scored in two games and only two conceded. It was just as convincing this Christmas.

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Emery gave a fair impression of Busta Bloodvessel during a feisty first hour before the game was taken away from him and deflated he slumped to acceptance.

This was as spicy as a vindaloo. Not only was Emery's star striker Jhon Duran sent off first half when Villa were already a goal down but United's assistant manager Jason Tindall was red carded to the Press box at half-time.

Just in case Emery attempts to rewrite history and make a case for the 10 men being unlucky let me recall that a rampant United not only gorged themselves on three more goals but Joelinton netted first-half only for Alexander Isak to have run the ball fractionally over the dead ball line, Isak struck from a Jacob Murphy pass to be denied by an offside flag, and Bruno 'scored' too before being deprived because of a handball decision. Oh, and Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez proved why he is one of the best in the world with some breathtaking saves.

Mind you, it is not just a matter of Emery being jinxed. Villa hate it up here whoever is in the driving cabin. United haven't lost to Villa at SJP in the last 17 meetings in all competitions. Indeed of the 28 Premier League fixtures between the sides on Tyneside, the visitors have lost 18 times, drawn eight and won just twice. Even then Newcastle had incurred red cards: the 0-1 in 1999 saw Alan Shearer sent off and the 0-3 in 2005 infamously included the fisticuffs between Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer as well as Steven Taylor taking an early bath.

This time it was a red rag to a bull for Villa as United jumped not only above them in the table but champions Manchester City as well. It has turned out to be a nice Christmas!

United have suddenly gone goal crazy and it is a joy to behold. It took them 26 seconds to go ahead at Ipswich and just a little more on this occasion... sixty five seconds before Anthony Gordon rifled in a beauty. Naturally Isak scored next _ he now has 24 goals this calendar year and it isn't over yet. Finally Big Joe lashed home a third in injury time. By then Unai Emery was more ashen a bedsheet!

So super confident we move on to games intriguingly stacked with three away on the bounce followed by three at home. Steeling ourselves to visit big beasts it is Manchester United, Spurs, and Arsenal in the semi-final of the Carabao Cup. Then welcome relief with League Two Bromley due here in the FA Cup followed by Wolves and Bournemouth. After it two more matches which don't strike fear into a black and white heart: Southampton away and Fulham home.

A tough trio in theory on our travels but not any more. Newcastle are the real deal while Man U and Spurs are only top clubs by reputation not by deeds. Let us embrace life, confront it, and overcome it.