The week’s events have hardly whet the appetite for Saturday’s Newcastle United v Aston Villa match I have to say.

The slightly bizarre and utterly alarming defeat at Coventry City was a miserable start to things.

Then any hopes of a dose of Saturday evening bouncebackability were shaken by Aston Villa then putting in an impressive display in a 6-0 Champions League howking of Fenerbahce on Wednesday, a game I was hoping would tip the balance in our favour due to the excess preparation time in Newcastle’s favour.

So then, Villa.

A shared history that has taken a few turns in the past couple of decades. There was little niggle in the majority of the 178 fixtures we’ve shared until the events of relegation day in May 2009, which kicked off a solid decade of spite towards Saturday’s opposition. This was not helped by a second relegation being all but confirmed at the same venue in 2016, although it was mitigated a year later when Jack Grealish’s late final day equaliser against Brighton handed us the second tier title.

Anyway, it feels like this animosity has dissolved somewhat as the past five or so years has seen both clubs undergo a transformation that has been equally uplifting and frustrating. Swapping seasons in the Champions League and winning trophies for the first time in a while has seen United and Villa very much back in the mix, only to be torn apart by financial regulations that heavily favour clubs with recent better fortune.

This is particularly galling as we aren’t talking about manufactured “challenger” clubs here, but stalwarts of England’s top flight with a competitive history that, in both cases, dwarves Chelsea’s pre-Abramovich. In fact, were a big six to be constructed in, say, 1996 there’s a very real chance it would contain both, with United in the midst for consecutive runners-up spots and Villa having won a second league cup in three years.

As it is, we currently sit here amidst the recriminations against another historic club that wasn’t wanted in amongst the trophies and glamour of the red cartel, as the Manchester City situation serves as a warning to upstarts looking to break the status quo.

Given the similar recent history, shared experiences and frustrations and the topical nature of the matter around Manchester City, we at The Mag Podcast thought it would be interesting to reach out to our counterparts at top Villa podcast My Old Man Said, to discuss both clubs ahead of Saturday’s fixture.

In a special pod, we are joined by Chris Budd of MOMS for a Villa perspective ahead of Saturday’s game (although we recorded before there was too much to be despondent about).

Thanks to Chris and all at MOMS for their time.

Links below to listen to the full episode.

🎙️ THE MAG PODCAST SPECIAL

Ep 11 Special: Newcastle United & Aston Villa. Rivalry, Transfers & Man City Fallout

Listen to the latest episode of The Mag Pod! Join Jamie, Simon, Hutch, and guest Chris Budd for unfiltered football debate.