Selhurst Park was bouncing with anticipation as Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace welcomed Newcastle off the back of two Premier League triumphs and the crowd would not be disappointed with the Eagles recording a 2-0 win over the Magpies.
It was a must win game for the Magpies as they seek to beat Manchester United to the UEFA Europa League but Glasner’s squad had no intention of letting them take away three points and a dazzling showcase of talent from Will Hughes, Eberechi Eze and Jean-Philippe Mateta ensured the Eagles secured their third Premier League win on the trot.
The first half may have ended 0-0 but it was not without its action with captain Joachim Andersen being the first of several Palace stars to go close. After being benched against West Ham, Jordan Ayew was keen to show what he could offer from the get go and will have been disappointed not to get on the scoresheet.
Eberechi Eze once again shone for Glasner, offering a fine display ahead of this summer’s Euros tournament and provided ample opportunities for both himself and his teammates, but none were to make it past Dubravka.
The Palace defence were threatened only once with Alexander Isak bounding towards the goal but a perfectly timed tackle from goalkeeper Dean Henderson dealt quickly put out the fire and Newcastle ended the first half with just one shot attempted, and none on target.
Newcastle began the second half with much more impetus, but it was not to last long with Jean-Philippe Mateta finally finding the back of the net following an exceptionally well-timed and calmly-sent ball from Eze. Selhurst Park was sent into complete ecstasy with the ground continuing to shake long after play had resumed. Finally, after a fairly placid first half, the game had commenced.
Newcastle’s only goal-scoring hope was to be a VAR intervention following a supposed Will Hughes foul on Sean Longstaff but nothing was to go right for the Magpies with Mateta scoring once again in the 87th minute following a ball through from Hughes.
It feels like this team could take on the anyone in the world at the moment and it’s a shame Glasner has just four games left this season, but 2024/25 could be an exceptionally exciting time for the Selhurst Park side.
Here are LondonWorld’s player ratings following the Eagles’ 2-0 win over Newcastle...
1. GK - Dean Henderson
8/10: Perfectly timed tackle on Alexander Isak was Henderson's shining moment but never appeared to risk letting the ball through his legs.
2. RB - Nathanial Clyne
6/10: A clean sheet for the defender and quickly recovered from a poorly cleared header early on.
3. CB - Joachim Andersen
7/10: A busy night for Andersen who did well for the majority to keep Isak at bay but often struggled with the Swedish striker's pace. Cleared the ball expertly to keep Henderson out of action as much as possible.
4. LB - Chris Richards
6/10: Part of a strong defensive display that saw Palace enjoy a clean sheet but all the action took place up the other end of the pitch.