Crystal Palace 2 Newcastle 0 – United get what they deserved

The Mag

·24 April 2024

Crystal Palace 2 Newcastle 0 – United get what they deserved

Crystal Palace 2 Newcastle 0 – Saturday 24 April 8pm

Eddie Howe with a little bit of a surprise, keeping the same eleven players and the formation, that had seen United hammer Tottenham 4-0, eleven days earlier.

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No surprise to see Palace come out of the blocks fast, after their wins over Liverpool and West Ham, also having the security of now knowing they are effectively safe from relegation.

Palace pressed high and did a bit of a ‘Newcastle’ on the visitors, United barely getting out of their own half in the opening 25+ minutes.

However, Dubravka without a difficult save to make, as despite their pressure, the closest Palace came in the first half was an early block from Schar on Andersen only six or seven yards out.

Having weathered the early storm though, Newcastle then coming into the game.

I am sure it was Alexander Isak’s first touch when some 30 minutes in, a lovely ball over the top from Bruno set him away side by side with Andersen. Isak heading the through ball to take him away from the defender but just too strong the touch, allowing the keeper to just in time meet the ball at the same time as the striker in side the penalty area.

That set the trend for the rest of the half where United were concerned, Isak looking more and more of a threat as a couple of last ditch challenges just prevented him getting away on through balls.

As Newcastle made it a more even contest, Palace resorting to tactical fouls that brought Richards and Ayew yellow cards before the break, as they stopped threatening NUFC moves.

Palace undoubtedly the better of the first half but without really creating many clear chances, mainly efforts from distance.

The second half starting as the first finished, pretty even.

However, on 55 minutes Newcastle going behind. Both Schar and Burn attracted to Mateta, who played a sweet one-two with Ayew and a cool finish, Bruno a little unlucky with his despairing covering slide to try and rescue the situation.

Up until that point all you’d heard were the Newcastle United fans, suddenly Palace fans finding their voice.

That then set in motion a frustrating final 35 minutes plus added time.

Not much between the two teams but whenever United got into a decent situation, so often making the wrong choice, then when they did pick the right ball, last ditch interventions from Palace defenders ending the threat.

Hall and Wilson replaced Barnes and Murphy on 65 minutes as Eddie Howe went to a back four and Isak playing off Wilson.

Once again, so near but yet so far, as things just didn’t click and clear chances eluding Newcastle.

Moving into the final quarter of an hour or so and Sean Longstaff went down under a challenge as he ran into the box, the referee on the pitch not giving the penalty and the VAR refusing to intervene after looking at it.

As Newcastle pressed, Palace starting to get the space United craved, as they threatened on the break.

With a couple of minutes to go, a Newcastle player (Gordon?) losing the ball and Palace working it well down the left, a couple of passes later and Mateta sweeps home the second from around 10 yards. One of those where it went through the legs of Dubravka and you wonder whether he should have saved it, the United keeper on his line.

The match now gone and whilst Gordon was denied by Henderson close in, deep into added time, to be fair, Palace were well deserving of their victory by the end.

The referee was shocking, but both sets of fans equally unhappy with him, so at least he was fair…

We move on and I have a feeling that this could prove to have been our most difficult of the remaining six games.

Newcastle maybe a bit unlucky to meet Palace at the worst possible time and once we didn’t get the first goal, NUFC were always going to be up against it.

Crystal Palace 2 Newcastle 0 – Saturday 24 April 8pm

Goals:

Palace:

Mateta 55,88

(Half-time stats in brackets)

Possession was Palace 47% (51%) Newcastle 53% (49%)

Total shots were Palace 20 (9) Newcastle 6 (1)

Shots on target were Palace 7 (5) Newcastle 2 (0)

Corners were Palace 7 (4) Newcastle 2 (0)

Referee: Thomas Bramall

Newcastle team v Crystal Palace:

Dubravka, J Murphy (Wilson 65), Krafth, Schar, Burn, Longstaff (White 90), Bruno, Anderson (Ritchie 90), Gordon, Barnes (Hall 65), Isak