Aston Villa manager Remi Garde heaped praise on forward Jordan Ayew for his eye-catching performance in the second half of the 1-1 draw with Newcastle United on Saturday.

The 24-year-old was instrumental in staging Villa's comeback in the second half and scored a stunning equaliser to earn a point for his side.

Garde said: "It was a brilliant goal from Jordan Ayew. He is a very talented player, but not only talented, he works hard for the team defensively, offensively and he has been rewarded by a very nice goal.

"It's good for his confidence, it's good for the confidence of the whole team.

"He has been helped by all his team-mates and of course I want to congratulate him for what he did, but as a manager I have to say as well that all the players worked hard in the second half and that's why we came back."