Newcastle United earned their first point of the new Premier League season on Saturday with a 0-0 draw away to Aston Villa.
Both teams created plenty of chances throughout the course of the match, but a lack of finishing saw the game end without a goal.
Newcastle were forced to finish the afternoon with 10 men following Mike Williamson's sending off, though they were able to withstand a late surge from Villa, who remain unbeaten after two games.
Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the individual performances from both sets of players at Villa Park.
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ASTON VILLA
Goal
Brad Guzan The Villa goalkeeper had a fairly busy afternoon between the sticks, but he provided a solid presence at the back for the home side. (7/10)
Defence
Aly Cissokho: The summer signing from Valencia was a lively outlet down the left flank, linking up well with those in front of him and putting in some crosses into the Newcastle box. (8/10)
Ron Vlaar: A typically stoic performance from Villa's captain. Had to be on his toes with Newcastle posing a threat going forward, though he was able to keep the visitors at bay. (7/10)
Philippe Senderos: The Swiss had one or two shaky moments when under pressure, but overall Senderos worked well with Vlaar in the heart of the Villa defence. (7/10)
Alan Hutton: Having worked his way back into the Villa starting lineup, Hutton proved once again that he has plenty to offer both going forward and in defence. (8/10)
Midfield
Kieran Richardson: Despite seeing a fair bit of the ball out on the left, Richardson's contribution was a largely ineffective one as he struggled to make an impact. (6/10)
Fabian Delph: Driving Villa on from midfield, Delph was a model of energy and dynamism with some superb runs from deep. More of the same and he could be named the club's player of the season for a second consecutive year. (8/10)
Ashley Westwood: Anchored the midfield well, though the youngster could probably have got more involved higher up the pitch. (7/10)
Charles N'Zogbia: The winger provided the hosts with a sense of danger out on the right wing, terrorising the Newcastle defence frequently. (8/10)
Attack
Gabriel Agbonlahor: Often cut a lonely figure up front. Despite his best efforts to give Newcastle something to think about, the forward was feeding off scraps for most of the afternoon. (7/10)
Andreas Weimann: While Weimann scored the winner against Stoke on the opening day of the season, this was an underwhelming performance from the Austrian. (6/10)
Substitutes
Carlos Sanchez: Got involved as soon as he came off the bench, mixing it up in midfield and showing little fear in getting involved in attacks. (7/10)
Darren Bent: Did little to warrant a place in the starting lineup for Villa's next match. Bent added little to the home team's offensive options. (6/10)
Nathan Baker: A brief cameo for the youngster did not allow him to influence the game. (6/10)
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Newcastle:
Goal
Tim Krul With no shots on target to deal with, Krul had little to do in goal on what was a quiet afternoon for the Dutchman. (7/10)
Defence
Paul Dummett: Working hard down the left as part of an organised Newcastle defence, Dummett showed why he is is rated highly by manager Alan Pardew. (7/10)
Fabricio Coloccini: The Magpies captain was composed throughout, keeping those around him in check while making sure that his personal performance was up to scratch. (8/10)
Mike Williamson: Complemented Collocini well in the centre of Newcastle's defence. Had a good chance to give his side the lead in the second half, but could only head straight at Guzan. His late dismissal did not mar a solid display. (8/10)
Daryl Janmaat: The full-back hardly put a foot wrong during a fine display down the right. Looked in control on the back foot, but also gave the visitors plenty of width high up the pitch. (9/10)
Midfield
Yoan Gouffran: Following on from a disappointing display against Manchester City, the Frenchman yet again failed to deliver the goods for his team. (6/10)
Vurnon Anita: There was nothing flashy from Anita against Villa, though he gave Newcastle some much-needed mettle in midfield. (7/10)
Jack Colback: Did little to impress when the ball was in play, but some good deliveries from out wide were important for his team going forward. (7/10)
Moussa Sissoko: Linking well in his role between the midfield and the attack, Sissoko often looked like a threat in the final third. (8/10)
Remy Cabella: The Frenchman failed to show the kind of magic that lit up his performance against Manchester City, though he was still dangerous in wide areas for the visitors. (7/10)
Attack
Emmanuel Riviere: Offered very little as the lone striker. A few more impotent showings like this and he could soon have the fans on his back. (5/10)
Substitutes
Siem de Jong: Was unlucky to be denied by Guzan after being introduced in the second half. Other than that, De Jong often struggled to find space to do his thing. (6/10)
Ayoze Perez: Should probably have scored late on when he volleyed over the bar. A bit more composure and he could have made himself an instant hero on Tyneside. Was brought off in the final moments after Williamson had seen red. (6/10)
Steven Taylor: Was on the pitch for a matter of minutes after Williamson had been sent off. Was part of the Newcastle defence that withstood a late surge by Villa. (6/10)
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