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.

Fabian Delph of Aston Villa challenges Fabricio Coloccini of Newcastle United during the Barclays Premier League match between Aston Villa and Newcastle United at Villa Park on August 23, 2014 © Getty Images

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)

Referee Mike Dean shows the red card to Mike Williamson of Newcastle United during the Barclays Premier League match between Aston Villa and Newcastle United at Villa Park on August 23, 2014 © Getty Images

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)