Newcastle United will host Crystal Palace at St. James’ Park on Wednesday, eager to continue their impressive run a form.
Newcastle United are coming into this game vs Crystal Palace on the back of four consecutive victories in the Premier League. The Tyneside outfit managed to pick up a comfortable 4-1 win over Manchester United at the weekend, and they will be confident of grinding out a good result here as well.
The Magpies have picked up five wins in a row across all competitions, and they are full of confidence and momentum right now. Eddie Howe’s men will be desperate for Champions League qualification, and they cannot afford to drop points at this stage of the season.
Meanwhile, Crystal Palace ended their unbeaten run in the Premier League with a defeat against Manchester City at the weekend. They will look to bounce back strongly. They were unbeaten in five Premier League matches in a row prior to the defeat against the champions. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Newcastle United
Eddie Howe will be without Jamaal Lascelles due to a knee injury, Sven Botman due to a knee injury, and Lewis Hall due to an ankle injury. Meanwhile, Joe Willock has a knock.
Newcastle United will shape up in a 4-3-3 formation vs Crystal Palace, with Nick Pope in goal. Valentino Livramento and Matt Targett will start as the full-backs. They will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Dan Burn will form the central defensive partnership alongside Fabian Schar.
As for the midfield unit, Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Sean Longstaff will start in the middle of the park. They will look to win the ball back for their side and add control in the middle of the park. Alexander Isak will lead the line for Newcastle United vs Crystal Palace, with Jacob Murphy and Harvey Barnes on either side of him.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Pope; Livramento, Burn, Schar, Targett; Tonali, Guimaraes, Longstaff; Murphy, Isak, Barnes
Crystal Palace
Oliver Glasner will be without Chadi Riad, and Checik Doucoure due to knee injuries. Crystal Palace will shape up in a 3-4-1-2 formation vs Newcastle United, with Dean Henderson in goal.
Chris Richards will start alongside Maxence Lacroix and Marc Guehi in the back three. They will look to mark Isak out of the game. Daniel Munoz and Tyrick Mitchell will start as the wing-backs. They will look to help out at both ends of the pitch.
As for the midfield unit, Will Hughes and Adam Wharton will add creativity and defensive cover to the side. Eberechi Eze and Ismaila Sarr will start in the attacking midfield roles, and they will look to link up with striker Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Richards, Guehi, Lacroix; Munoz, Hughes, Wharton, Mitchell; Sarr, Eze; Mateta
Key Stats
- Newcastle United have kept a clean sheet in their last four home matches vs Crystal Palace in all competitions.
- Newcastle United have won their last four matches in the Premier League.
- Crystal Palace are unbeaten in five of their last six Premier League matches.
- Newcastle United are unbeaten in five of their last six matches against Crystal Palace (W2 D3).
- Eight goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two teams (Last meeting 1-1).
Player to Watch
Alexander Isak
The Newcastle United striker has been in sensational form this season, and he is undoubtedly the best goalscorer in the Premier League right now. The Swede is our key player to watch out for, and he will look to take advantage of Crystal Palace’s defensive vulnerability.
The Eagles have conceded in each of their last three matches across all competitions, and Isak has the quality to punish them. He will look to find the back of the net and add to his goal tally for the season. He will also look to create opportunities for his teammates.
Prediction
Newcastle United 2-1 Crystal Palace
Newcastle United are undoubtedly the favourites heading into this game. The home side have the form and momentum with them, and they should be able to grind out a victory here. Crystal Palace are likely to put up a fight. The Eagles have been quite impressive in recent weeks, apart from the defeat against Manchester City.
However, Newcastle United are the team in form, and they have a better team at their disposal as well. Both sides are likely to get the score sheet, but the home side should be able to edge this one. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Eddie Howe and his charges.
