Newcastle United have moved up to third place in the table after hammering Crystal Palace 5-0 at St James’ Park.
Jacob Murphy opened the scoring with an outrageous effort from a tight angle before the quarter-hour mark, but Crystal Palace were awarded a penalty in the 35th minute after Nick Pope was adjudged to have fouled Chris Richards. However, Pope saved Eberechi Eze’s resulting spot-kick and Newcastle went on to put Crystal Palace to the sword courtesy of an own goal from Marc Guehi and goals from Harvey Barnes, Fabian Schar and Alexander Isak.
Here are five things we learned from the game.
Ruthless Newcastle do Eddie Howe proud
Expectations, demands, standards. These were some of Jason Tindall’s most used words on the eve of the game as Newcastle looked to make absent boss Eddie Howe proud once again. “We can’t step off the gas,” Tindall warned. “We know we have got seven cup finals.”
The stakes were certainly high in the race for the Champions League. Win their game in hand and in-form Newcastle would not only leapfrog Nottingham Forest into third – the Magpies would also move four points clear of champions Manchester City and five points above Chelsea. It was a tantalising prospect – but Newcastle had a job to do against a Crystal Palace side who had lost just once on the road in the league since November.
That’s what made the manner of this win so impressive. After taking the lead, Newcastle smelt blood following Eberechi Eze’s penalty miss and pushed for a second just a couple of minutes later when Marc Guehi deflected Harvey Barnes’ cross into his own net.
Rather than settling for a two-goal advantage, though, the Magpies pushed for more in first-half stoppage time and Sandro Tonali’s sumptuous reverse pass sent Harvey Barnes through. Given the form Barnes is in, it felt like there was only going to be one outcome and, sure enough, Barnes took the ball outside Maxence Lacroix before rifling past Dean Henderson.
Crystal Palace looked like they wanted full-time – never mind half-time – but Newcastle were not done yet. Remarkably, there was still time for Fabian Schar to glance the ball past Henderson. It all came from a smart free-kick routine straight from the training ground as Trippier back-heeled the ball and Murphy swung the cross into the box.
Alexander Isak then got in on the act before the hour mark after Joelinton dispossessed Maxence Lacroix and the ball fell to Newcastle’s top scorer, who curled home from outside the box on a night that will certainly have left Howe proud. Indeed, the Newcastle boss sent Tindall a ‘nice message’ after the game congratulating ‘the performance, the team and myself and the staff’.
Nick Pope’s huge save after VAR controversy
It was a decision that left players and supporters incredulous after the half-hour mark. Nick Pope, with his eyes on the ball, went to punch a free-kick but ended up colliding with Crystal Palace defender Chris Richards as he did so.
Although referee Darren England did not point to the spot, VAR deemed there was sufficient contact for a penalty and recommended an on-field review. The sight of a referee going for a second look on the pitchside monitor is always a tell-tale sign and England duly overturned his original call and pointed to the spot.
The boos were deafening as Eberechi Eze picked up the ball and the England international had a long wait to finally take the spot-kick before a staggering his run-up and giving Pope the eyes – only to meekly roll the ball into the Newcastle goalkeeper’s hands after he correctly guessed the right way. Crystal Palace never recovered.
It was a different scoreline, of course, but there were shades of Brentford away a couple of years ago when Pope saved a penalty and Newcastle went on to win the game. That proved a crucial victory on the way to Newcastle qualifying for the Champions League and this also felt like a significant three points.
Jacob Murphy stuns Geordies
Remember the Sandro Tonali shot or cross debate from a couple of weeks ago? Well, there can be no doubt that Jacob Murphy meant this one.
Having set up two huge opportunities for Alexander Isak in the opening stages, which were not taken, Murphy went it alone in the 13th minute after Kieran Trippier slipped his team-mate in down the overlap. Goalkeeper Dean Henderson and, indeed, the whole stadium expected Murphy to cut the ball back across, but the 30-year-old had other ideas. Murphy instead unleashed a venomous drive to catch out Henderson at his near post from a tight angle. No wonder Geordies ooohed as they watched the replay on the big screen.
Murphy went on to help himself to an assist and the forward has now been directly involved in 17 goals in his last 18 Premier League appearances. You suspect Murphy won’t want this season to end given the form he’s in. England boss Thomas Tuchel will surely be taking note.
Marc Guehi gets fresh glimpse
There is a reason why Newcastle had lost just one of their previous dozen midweek home league games. As Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner put it: “Very electric atmosphere, very electric team.”
The away end may have taunted ‘1-0 and you still don’t sing!’, ‘Is this a library?’, ‘Is this the Emirates?’ and ‘Where’s your famous atmosphere?’ when Newcastle were a goal to the good – the St James’ stadium announcer would go on to play Crystal Palace anthem ‘Glad All Over’ at full-time – but the ground truly came alive when the visitors were awarded a penalty after Geordies were enraged by the decision. The loud boos that followed looked to have affected Eberechi Eze, who missed, and Newcastle channelled the energy of the stadium as the Magpies poured forward and scored a further three goals before half-time.
A penny for Marc Guehi’s thoughts. In a parallel universe, the Crystal Palace captain could have been lining up for Newcastle, of course, on Wednesday night and the England international has certainly done his bit for the Magpies this season after becoming just the second player in Premier League history to score an own goal home and away against an opponent in a single campaign. Having previously described St James’ as his favourite stadium in the top-flight, this was a fresh glimpse of life on Tyneside.
Bonus for Aston Villa game as Joelinton escapes ban
This was the second of three huge games for Newcastle in less than a week yet it was rather telling that Jason Tindall and Graeme Jones stuck with the same settled, winning side that ended the club’s long wait for silverware last month for a sixth game in a row. Anthony Gordon may be available again, but even the England international does not walk back into the XI at the moment. That’s how impressive Harvey Barnes has been.
These players delivered once more – firing Newcastle into a 5-0 lead before the hour mark – and gave Tindall the luxury of taking off Joelinton and Jacob Murphy midway through the second half; Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak in the 72nd minute; and Kieran Trippier in the 79th minute. Joelinton, in the process, avoided a 10th yellow card of the season and, therefore, escaped a two-match ban, which ensures the Brazil international will be available for Saturday’s huge game against Aston Villa and beyond.
Aston Villa may have a deeper squad, as well as an extra day to prepare, but Newcastle will head to Villa Park full of belief. In fact, only league leaders Liverpool have picked up more points in the Premier League since mid-December.
