Newcastle 4 Crystal Palace 0
Newcastle welcomed Crystal Palace to St James’ Park with the most notable change being Sandro Tonali demoted to the bench for The Magpies. It almost seemed as if they were preparing for life without the player as he is investigated by the Italian FA for match betting from his time in Milan.
Eddie Howe’s side got off to the perfect start when a searching ball out wide was cushioned into the path of Murphy by Kieran Trippier. The midfielder just seemed to stick a leg out at it but his effort lobbed up over the Palace keeper and into the far corner.
Palace looked to get back into the game and immediately forced a corner. As the cross was swung in, Mateta had a free header in the box and steered it wide of the far post. His Wiki page lists him as a striker but he certainly does not seem to have an eye for goal, hence his stats for The Eagles of a goal in every ten games almost.
Murphy then did well getting to byline and clipping a ball to the back post where Gordon had an open goal to aim for but seemed to be taking part in the crossbar challenge instead. They spurned another chance when Trippier did the same but Wilson headed it over the bar.
Credit: @NUFC
Newcastle were turning the screw now and when Murphy found Gordon at the back post, the ex-Everton player did not waste this chance as he slotted the ball home to make it two-nil to Eddie Howe’s side.
Roy Hodgson’s team hit the self-destruct button in added time in the first half when Guehi mis-controlled the ball on the edge of his own box and saw Longstaff skip past him before beating Johnstone to make it three-nil to the Geordies.
The visitors had failed to test Nick Pope all game but in the second half they managed to draw him into a routine save when Doucoure side-footed one from outside the box. The Magpies went straight up the other end and Murphy fed it into the path of Wilson who slotted home.
Hodgson had prided himself on the tight defensive unit he had made Palace since his return but today they were shipping them in like French border control guards. It was less like a solid defence than it was more a papier-mâché wall.
In a rare attack, as Newcastle struggled to clear the ball, it dropped to Guehi in the middle of the goal. Somehow, he managed to put his effort over the crossbar when had he hit the target, it seemed a certain goal for the visitors.
Isak did well on the halfway line, holding the ball up and feeding it into the path of Almiron, who ran towards goal. It seemed as though number five was on the cards but the Paraguayan hit a tame effort straight at the keeper, which he duly saved.
Credit: @NUFC
Palace won a late free kick in a good position but Edouard’s effort was tipped over the bar by Nick Pope when it was heading into the top corner. The great save kept Newcastle’s clean sheet which they deserved on this performance.
The Magpies took the three points, with Palace fans worrying about the lack of creativity in their side when Olise and Eze are missing. They will be comfortable this season but will struggle against the better sides unless they can start looking more of an attacking threat in the final third.
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