Crystal Palace will be looking to make it three Premier League wins on the spin when they welcome Newcastle United to Selhurst Park on Wednesday night.
Crystal Palace will host Newcastle United at Selhurst Park on Wednesday night, needing just one more win to mathematically ensure their Premier League survival.
Newcastle enjoyed the weekend off, while Crystal Palace were in action, and the Eagles are gaining momentum. With five games remaining in the Premier League this season, Palace are now 14th, 11 points clear of the relegation zone.
The Eagles were on the verge of getting stuck in the relegation scrap at times. But it appears that they can now start planning for next season under new boss Oliver Glasner. This pullaway from the bottom three and towards mid-table has been boosted by two significant results in just over a week.
It began with a surprising 1-0 victory over Liverpool at Anfield. Crystal Palace then followed it up with a 5-2 drubbing of West Ham United on Sunday, racing to a 4-0 lead inside 31 minutes. The South London club will be looking to add another three points to their tally when Newcastle come to town.
The Magpies have also been in fine form of late, as they are unbeaten in four, most recently thumping Tottenham Hotspur 4-0 at St. James’ Park. As such, Eddie Howe’s men have moved up to sixth place in the table, meaning they are currently on track to secure a European return next season.
However, they are not exactly comfortable and cannot afford any slip-ups between now and the end of the season. Just three points separate Newcastle and ninth-placed Chelsea in what is a close battle, with the Blues also having a game in hand.
Newcastle United crushed Crystal Palace 4-0 when the pair last crossed swords at St. James’ Park back in October. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Crystal Palace
After Sunday’s five-star showing against West Ham United, Oliver Glasner could choose to name an unchanged starting XI on Wednesday night. The only minor setback to Sunday’s thrashing of West Ham was Adam Wharton’s forced substitution in the second half due to a knee clash with Emerson, although that contact injury should heal fast.
Chris Richards and Will Hughes recovered from injury worries to start at the weekend, with Rob Holding and Joel Ward on the bench. But Sam Johnstone (elbow), Cheick Doucoure (Achilles), Jefferson Lerma (thigh), Marc Guehi (knee), and Matheus Franca (groin) are all out.
Jairo Riedewald and Naouirou Ahamada will battle it out for an opportunity to replace Wharton if the talented midfielder is not risked on Wednesday. Jean-Philippe Mateta, who scored twice against West Ham on Sunday, seems to have found a new lease of life under Oliver Glasner.
The French forward will look to continue his fine goalscoring form here. He will lead the line for Crystal Palace against Newcastle United, with Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze on either side of him.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Henderson; Clyne, Richards, Andersen; Munoz, Ahamada, Hughes, Mitchell; Olise, Mateta, Eze
Newcastle United
Newcastle United have several players close to returning to action after a training ground injury boost. There were no new injury worries following Newcastle’s 4-0 victory against Tottenham Hotspur the previous game.
Callum Wilson has resumed full training after missing two months with a pectoral injury. The Englishman will hope to play a role in Newcastle’s last six games of the season. Jacob Murphy hobbled out of the previous contest due to a calf cramp.
Joe Willock’s Achilles injury ended his season prematurely, while Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles’ seasons were also cut short due to ACL problems. Miguel Almiron and Joelinton are both back in training following their respective injuries. Goalkeeper Nick Pope is also closing in on a return from a dislocated shoulder.
Kieran Trippier is looking closer to the Sheffield United match before he returns to action. Of course, Sandro Tonali is banned for betting, so he is not in contention for this match. Despite their congested treatment room, which forced right-back Emil Krafth to start as a central defender alongside Fabian Schar and Dan Burn against Tottenham Hotspur, the Magpies were tough to break down at St James’ Park last time out, and Eddie Howe will likely send out an unchanged XI onto the Selhurst Park.
Anthony Gordon, Alexander Isak, and Harvey Barnes were sensational when destroying Tottenham’s high line with their relentless pace. Howe will ask for more of the same from his free-scoring frontline here.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Dubravka; Murphy, Krafth, Schar, Burn; Anderson, Guimaraes, Longstaff; Gordon, Isak, Barnes
Key Stats
- The Magpies have avoided defeat in each of their last six encounters with the Eagles.
- Ten of the last 15 meetings between these two sides have seen one goal or fewer scored, with six of those ending 1-0.
- Eddie Howe’s side have posted just two clean sheets on their top-flight travels this term, with both teams scoring in five of the Toon Army’s last six league games away from St James’ Park.
- The Eagles have found the back of the net in seven of their eight outings under Oliver Glasner.
- Newcastle have only failed to score in four of their 32 Premier League games this season so far.
Player to Watch
Alexander Isak
Alexander Isak is very much in contention for the Golden Boot award after striking twice against Tottenham last time out. The star striker is enjoying an incredible season for the Magpies, having scored 21 goals across all competitions this season.
17 of those goals have come in the Premier League, leaving him just three behind Erling Haaland and Cole Palmer, who lead the top scorers list with 20 goals. The Swedish sharpshooter has racked up seven goals across his last six Premier League appearances and could continue the red-hot scoring streak here.
Prediction
Crystal Palace 2-3 Newcastle United
Crystal Palace’s games against Newcastle are usually tight affairs. However, the hosts look a much more threatening attacking unit under new manager Oliver Glasner, with the Eagles scoring in seven of their eight outings under the Austrian manager’s guidance. The Magpies are also in free-scoring form
A revived and well-rested Newcastle United will be a very different kind of challenge than a tired West Ham for Palace. Eddie Howe’s decimated defence should have enough nous to somewhat restrict Crystal Palace’s attackers. But the visitors should benefit from Palace’s weekend fatigue to prevail in what may be a goal-fest.