Newcastle United surged into third place in the Premier League after a dominant performance saw them dismantle Crystal Palace 5-0 at St James’ Park. With Eddie Howe still recovering from illness, assistants Jason Tindall and Graeme Jones guided the Magpies to another emphatic result.
The home side flew out of the blocks, and Jacob Murphy opened the scoring in the 14th minute with a tight-angled finish that beat Dean Henderson at his near post. Palace had the chance to pull level shortly after when Nick Pope fouled Chris Richards inside the box. However, Eberechi Eze’s penalty lacked power and was comfortably stopped by the Newcastle keeper.
Marc Guehi then handed Newcastle a second goal when he diverted a Harvey Barnes delivery into his own net, echoing his previous own goal in the reverse fixture. Barnes added a goal of his own with a smart individual effort, beating Maxence Lacroix before curling a shot past Henderson.
Before the break, Fabian Schar added a fourth with a well-placed header from a Murphy cross deep into first-half stoppage time, sending the home supporters into celebration.
Isak and Murphy lead attacking charge
Alexander Isak, who had struggled to find the net in recent outings, made his mark with a long-range strike to seal the win. The Swedish forward capitalized on Joelinton’s tackle on Lacroix and rifled the ball into the corner for his 25th of the campaign.
Murphy’s recent form continued with his third goal in three matches, as well as an assist. The winger has now been involved in six goals over the last four fixtures, proving a key figure in Newcastle’s attacking unit.
Barnes, starting ahead of Anthony Gordon, also contributed heavily, playing a role in the own goal and scoring once more to make it four goals in three games for him. The forward’s strong form adds to the growing selection headache for the returning Howe.
Newcastle have now used the same starting lineup in six straight matches, each resulting in victory. They sit five points ahead of sixth-placed Chelsea, with fixtures against Aston Villa, Ipswich, Brighton, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Everton to close the season.
Palace stumble again before FA Cup semi
Crystal Palace remain in 12th position with 43 points after suffering back-to-back heavy defeats. They were second-best throughout the contest and created few meaningful opportunities.
The closest they came to scoring was a header from Daniel Munoz, which was inadvertently blocked on the line by teammate Eddie Nketiah. The South London club has now shipped ten goals in two games, following a 5-2 loss to Manchester City.
Manager Oliver Glasner will be concerned by the defensive frailties, especially with Guehi back from suspension but unable to stabilize the backline. The Eagles still have a slim chance of European qualification through the league, sitting five points behind Bournemouth in eighth.
With an FA Cup semi-final against Aston Villa on the horizon, Palace will need a swift improvement to stay in the hunt for their first major trophy.
