Newcastle No.2 Jason Tindall sent off at half-time after clash with Unai Emery sparked '20-man brawl' during Magpies' 3-0 win over Aston Villa

According to The Mirror, Eddie Howe's second in command got into a heated back and forth with Emery and even shushed the Villa manager at one point in the first half. The report adds the ex-Bournemouth coach then clashed with Aston Villa analyst Victor Manas, both of whom were sent off during the interval.

According to reports, tempers flared in the tunnel at the break and that led to a '20-man brawl'. It mattered little as Newcastle romped to a 3-0 win at St James' Park on Thursday against the 10 men of Villa - a result that saw the Magpies climb to fifth in the Premier League.

When Newcastle boss Howe was asked about the '20-man melee' description, he told reporters: "It is probably not far off."

He added: “These things always start out I don’t think with the intention of it happening in the way that it did. There was probably 17 or 18 people trying to calm it down, but what it looks like then are more people are involved.

“No-one wants to see that, it’s not at all how I want my players or staff to be, but sometimes you have to stand up to what you think is right and protect each other.”

Howe's in-form Newcastle side will look to round off 2024 in style when they travel to struggling Manchester United on Monday at Old Trafford.