LAST UPDATE | 3 Feb
HARVEY BARNES EMERGED from his injury nightmare to spare Newcastle’s blushes as they fought back from two goals down to deny Premier League newcomers Luton victory in a 4-4 thriller.
The Magpies’ summer signing was called from the bench with his side trailing 4-2 at St James’ Park and after Kieran Trippier had given them hope, it was he who smashed home a 73rd-minute equaliser in his first appearance since September.
In a full-blooded encounter, the home side led 1-0 and then 2-1 through Sean Longstaff’s double, but after Gabriel Osho and the excellent Ross Barkley had levelled, Carlton Morris’ penalty and a fourth from midweek hat-trick hero Elijah Adebayo looked to have put the visitors in the driving seat.
Newcastle’s fightback extended into 10 minutes of stoppage time at the end of a pulsating contest as they threw everything they had at the search for a winner, but the visitors stood firm to take a more than deserved point from a hugely entertaining draw.
Ireland international Chiedozie Ogbene excelled for Luton as he repeatedly made life intensely uncomfortable for Dan Burn.
Ogbene was dragged back by Burns for the foul that saw Morris score from the penalty spotin the 59th minute for Luton. He came close to a match-winner as well, volleying straight at Dubravka deep into added time as the spoils were shared.
Aston Villa returned to winning ways in style as they put Sheffield United to the sword with four goals in the opening 30 minutes in a 5-0 romp at Bramall Lane.
Villa’s Premier League top-four hopes had faltered after winning just one of their last five matches but Unai Emery’s men put that right to move above Tottenham and back into fourth.
Goals from John McGinn, Ollie Watkins, Leon Bailey and Youri Tielemans before the half-hour put them in dreamland and Alex Moreno’s second-half goal made it a day to remember for Villa, who registered their biggest Premier League away win since 2004.
At one point they would have had history in their sights as they had more than 45 minutes to try and find four more goals which would have equalled the record victory in the Premier League era, but they took their foot off the gas.
Roy Hodgson cut a forlorn figure as Crystal Palace slumped to a dispiriting 4-1 defeat at their fierce rivals Brighton in the Premier League.
Goals from Lewis Dunk, Jack Hinshelwood, Facundo Buonanotte and Joao Pedro once again left the future of the veteran Eagles boss under scrutiny.
Palace sacked their previous manager, Patrick Vieira, following a 1-0 defeat in this fixture last season so Hodgson, on a run of just four wins from 17 matches, could be on thin ice.
The 76-year-old is hamstrung by the absence of Eberechi Eze through injury while his other key man, Michael Olise, was only deemed fit enough for the bench.
Yet when Olise was sent on, at half-time, his side were already 3-0 down, and the winger lasted just eight minutes before pulling up again.
A late goal from Jean-Philippe Mateta could not mask the flaws in Hodgson’s ailing side, and the loss of captain Marc Guehi to a first-half knee injury just compounded a thoroughly rotten day for the Eagles.
David Fofana came off the bench to mark his home debut with two goals as his stoppage-time equaliser earned Burnley a point in a 2-2 draw against Fulham.
The Cottagers, without an away victory since the opening day of the season and winless in the league at Turf Moor since 1951, appeared to be cruising after goals from Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Muniz had them 2-0 up inside 21 minutes.
But on-loan Chelsea striker Fofana, on as a substitute just after the hour, got them back into it with a 71st-minute header before bundling in the leveller in the first minute of stoppage time – equalling in 20 minutes his number of goals for Union Berlin in 17 games during a previous loan this season.
