Rafael Benitez’s decision to stay on as manager of Newcastle United heralded a new dawn on misty Tyneside.

Despite their relegation, the prospect of a ‘Rafalution’ at St. James’ Park helped supporters forget about the myriad of failings from behind the scenes. Though the Spaniard’s activity in the transfer market has so far been the biggest way of measuring his overhaul, this weekend’s game at Aston Villa is a poignant one.

A meeting of two fallen giants, who have been in dire straits in recent seasons, is a glamour tie for the Championship. Still, the Midlands outfit have constantly been a sticking point for the Toon Army, despite their ongoing problems.

Relegated under Alan Shearer at Villa Park in 2009, the bore draw on the same ground in May of this year all but had the same result. In fact, the Magpies were not even able to beat a Villa side many touted as the worst ever Premier League team last season. They froze on a cold night in the North East back in December, as Steve McClaren’s side missed a raft of chances to draw 1-1.

Had they beaten their visitors that night, it would have been the third win in a row at the time, perhaps giving the former England coach the kind of momentum he ultimately never enjoyed during his time in charge. Equally, after Benitez had guided the club to wins over Swansea City and Crystal Palace, Newcastle contested a drab bore draw during last season’s penultimate game.

It was during that tense 90 minutes that the club all but surrendered their top-flight status, deflating the good work prior to that. Quite the bogey team, it seems. In fact, something of a rivalry has emerged between the two sets of supporters, with sections of the Toon Army poking fun at Villa during the May meeting in the Midlands.

Amid Alan Shearer’s final game in charge, the travelling Toon Army were the butt of jokes at Villa Park, with various banners on display, the wittier jibes including: ‘Who’s your next messiah - Ant or Dec?’ and ‘Sob on the Tyne’.

So, the Magpies faithful planned revenge in May 2016. The reply from some of the Newcastle fans was equally childish as they planned their revenge in May 2016: Clad in clown masks, the home side’s plight was joked at by the travelling support, who posed the question ‘Who are the clowns now?”

Ultimately, that sort of tag could just have easily been attributed to the away side. So, although Roberto Di Matteo’s side are in disarray at the moment, the game means so much more to the Toon Army than simply reading it on current form. With so much talk about the Spanish coach changing the mentality on Tyneside, Saturday’s game is his biggest test yet. To truly see how far-reaching his impact has been at the club, beating a side who represent such a sticking point would go a long way into proving he really is sparking a revolution.

Some of the early signs have been promising, though the manner of defeats to the likes of Fulham and Huddersfield suggest some of the Toon's players are still plagued by nerves. The pressure is on this weekend, and with Di Matteo struggling so far, many would expect the visitors to win. Such expectation alone has proved a burden to Newcastle even at this early stage of the arduous Championship campaign, though learning to deal with it simply has to be a priority for the former Liverpool and Real Madrid coach.

Clearly, this game won't make or break a promotion push, but it will serve as the biggest indicator of Benitez's work behind the scenes.