Eddie Howe has stood up for Jason Tindall and insists Newcastle United players were "protecting each other" at half-time of the 3-0 victory over Aston Villa, when a melee involving up to 20 people broke out in the tunnel.

Howe confirmed that an incident took place during the break which led to Tindall, Newcastle's assistant head coach, and Victor Manas, Villa's first-team analyst, being sent off.

Tensions had boiled over during an angry first half, when Villa's Jhon Duran was sent off for an apparent double stamp on Fabian Schar, an incident which incensed Unai Emery and the visiting backroom staff. Tindall was seen shushing Emery, with whom he had exchanged words on multiple occasions throughout the opening 45 minutes.

But Howe believes if Tindall received a red card for his involvement in the half-time melee -- which led to him watching the second half from the directors' box at St James' Park -- then multiple others could have been dismissed, too.

The Football Association could choose to look further into both sides' involvement, which could lead to sanctions.

"I saw plenty," Howe said, when asked if he witnessed the ruckus which led to Tindall's dismissal. "Look, I don't know the actual details of why he was sent-off, that would need some clarification for me because I think if you're going to send him off, you could probably send 10 to 15 people off. So I'm not actually sure what he's been charged with."

Interestingly, while Howe defended Tindall, he also appeared to criticise the involvement of his players and backroom staff in such an incident, insisting, "it's not at all how I want my players or staff to be". Emery, however, merely replied, "nothing more", when asked about the half-time altercation.

"Yeah, I don't think that's far off," Howe said, when asked if it was "fair" to describe it as a "20-man half-time melee". "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."

"I think because of what's at stake, there's so much for both teams that naturally then the will to win sometimes spills over," Howe said. "When you're as competitive as we want to be and as Aston Villa are, I think there are always moments where that potentially goes over the line."

Pushed as to what the source of the melee was, Howe said: "I'm not 100 per cent sure. It goes over in a blur. I was right at the top of it, of course, frustration spilling out from the first half."

Yet Howe hinted that Newcastle players were defending Tindall.

"I don't know the players' side of it too much, I was right at the top so I didn't see what happened behind me," Howe said. "But of course we're all standing up for ourselves in that moment, protecting ourselves."

Asked if Tindall was pushed, Howe said: "I don't think it's right I go into details. You can draw your own conclusions I think."

Emery was furious with the decision of Anthony Taylor, the referee, to dismiss Duran in the 32nd minute. He was adamant that it was "completely not" a red card, and even Howe agreed that it was "harsh" upon first viewing.

"I haven't seen all the replays, genuinely," Howe said. "I've seen it once, that was live. Genuinely I haven't seen any replays. I haven't. I thought it was maybe harsh, that was maybe my gut feel. I was a little bit surprised the red card came out. But someone with a better view will tell me their opinion I'm sure."