Aaron Stokes is Newcastle United’s in-house Editor. Raised in the north-east, he left Tyne side in 2017 for London to work at Reach PLC’s national titles. After five years away, he returned in March 2022 to take up his present post at The Chronicle.

Newcastle United began their Premier League campaign with a 0-0 stalemate away against Aston Villa.

The hosts went down to 10 men when Ezri Konsa brought down a through-on-goal Anthony Gordon in the second half, yet Unai Emery’s side – far from their best throughout – clung on for a share of the points.

On paper, Newcastle’s early Premier League fixtures appear tough, and kicking off against a side unbeaten in 21 consecutive home outings [W15 D6] was always likely to prove a stern challenge for Eddie Howe’s men.

Replace Anthony Elanga and Anthony Gordon with Alexander Isak and Jacob Murphy and this Newcastle starting XI was identical to the one that suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat the last time they played at Villa Park.

On that day back in April, Ollie Watkins was the star man, tormenting United’s veteran Fabian Schar. Howe ensured that wouldn’t be repeated, assigning Dan Burn the responsibility of containing his England compatriot.

For the most part, Watkins was well marshalled – his first attempt on target didn’t arrive until the 65th minute.

At the other end, new shot-stopper Marco Bizot faced efforts from Newcastle’s reshaped frontline, particularly in the opening period as the away side pressed hard.

Konsa’s second-half dismissal, arriving in the 66th minute, felt like the moment the match would swing but this forward-less Newcastle team could not break through and halt Villa’s excellent home run.

As Newcastle went in at the interval, they must have wondered how they weren’t ahead; eight shots compared to Villa’s none, 60 per cent possession and an overall display much brighter than the hosts’ first 45 minutes.

The simple reason was that United missed a striker of Isak’s calibre leading the line – with him, they may well have claimed all three points.

Anthony Gordon works tirelessly when deployed centrally but even he would admit his qualities are better suited to the flanks.

Still, there were encouraging signs in United’s Isak-free outing despite the absence of cutting edge.

Sandro Tonali covered every blade of grass, dictating the game from midfield. Anthony Elanga shone on debut, troubling Villa defenders with his direct runs. Dan Burn continued to defy the years, again justifying Howe’s trust in him.

The statement from players committed to the cause was obvious; they were blocking out the external noise over Isak to keep giving everything for the badge.

This was a collective of committed players, working together and refusing to let one glaring absence hinder the job at hand.

Newcastle will cope without the Swedish striker. It may not feel that way after a goal-shy opener, but Howe’s side has the resilience to thrive even after his probable exit. The manager will take them even further.

Between now and deadline day, the club’s mission is to bolster their attack so that the Isak saga fades into the background.

Anthony Elanga nearly marked his Newcastle debut with a goal inside two minutes at Villa Park and remained the standout performer for the visitors during the clash.

Jacob Murphy enjoyed his best ever campaign last season, producing 20 contributions, but it is telling that Elanga seems to have jumped ahead of him in Howe’s hierarchy already.

The winger was comfortable drifting inside or driving wide, twisting and turning as he looked to spark openings for Newcastle as the contest unfolded.

It was Elanga’s incisive, defence-splitting ball that enabled Gordon to get beyond Konsa, drawing the foul which resulted in the Villa man’s dismissal.

“No limits to our dreams” read one banner in the Villa home section before kick-off. It felt like a veiled reference to the PSR rules that have restricted Villa’s spending this summer.

Newcastle have been in that position before. They know too well what it feels like to be held back despite healthy finances and Champions League involvement.

Villa’s activity has been restricted this window due to PSR pressures, leading to the sale of Jacob Ramsey to Newcastle to ease concerns.

Writing in his programme notes pre-match, Emery was outspoken as he demanded changes to spending laws that continue to frustrate numerous clubs.

“Financial rules were introduced to avoid bankruptcy, but they must be reviewed, as this measure now limits clubs who manage well, stopping them from dreaming of reaching higher ambitions,” he wrote.

Once the action began, Villa supporters made their anger clear. “Premier League, corrupt as f***” rang out from the stands, soon echoed by Newcastle’s travelling support in solidarity.

Following an eye-catching pre-season, Park Seung-soo earned a spot on Eddie Howe’s bench at Villa Park.

It was quite a leap for the teenager, having only recently been playing in the South Korean second division, to now be among teammates in the Premier League.

The 18-year-old has “earned his place” to continue training with the senior side, Howe confirmed, though few predicted he would be anywhere near first-team involvement this soon.

Of course, should Newcastle capture a forward before the window closes, Park will likely drop back out of the squad.

Still, this is a major opportunity for the youngster to gain invaluable exposure around Howe’s squad. Notably, of all the youth prospects, he was the one handed the call-up.