Newcastle United put together an incredible performance in a 5-0 stomping of Crystal Palace at St. James’ Park on Saturday afternoon. That victory was Newcastle’s fifth-straight win in the Premier League. This win launched them up to third place in the league standings. Asserting their attacking dominance early, the squad poured in four goals during the first half. This incredibly powerful performance opened the door to a finals-winning performance.
The match began with Newcastle asserting control early on, with Jacob Murphy opening the scoring in just the seventh minute. His cool finish opened the floodgates to a first-half barrage. The team continued to capitalize on Crystal Palace’s mistakes, leading to an own goal from Marc Guehi and further contributions from Harvey Barnes, Fabian Schar, and Alexander Isak.
Key Moments in the Match
Newcastle quickly threw down the gauntlet to Crystal Palace. But after Murphy’s opening goal, the hosts settled in almost immediately. Despite being on the losing side, Murphy’s assist for Schar’s 53rd-minute goal — his third of the match — featured his devastating production on the day. Schar’s header from a well-placed cross demonstrated Newcastle’s aerial strength.
In a pivotal moment during the first half, Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope collided with Crystal Palace defender Chris Richards while attempting to punch away a cross. After looking at the incident again on the pitchside monitor, the referee awarded a penalty in favour of Crystal Palace. But Pope made up for that moment of indiscipline by saving Eberechi Eze’s penalty, ensuring Newcastle held onto their lead.
“Ebs and JP (Mateta) are the two penalty takers and they decide on the pitch. Ebs had the ball and takes many penalties after training. He scores many goals from these situations and we trust him completely. Today, it didn’t work.” – Oliver Glasner
Even with the unsuccessful spot shot, Newcastle remained on the attack. Harvey Barnes had equalised shortly after the break, before Schar’s looping header and Isak’s strike halfway through the second half. This display rounded out an astounding nine goals scored by Newcastle over their previous two matches.
Managerial Perspectives
Newcastle’s assistant manager Jason Tindall praised his team’s performance, stating that they exceeded expectations.
“I felt they did that, if not bettered that.” – Jason Tindall
Tindall emphasized the importance of maintaining consistency as they aim for a Champions League spot, stating, “We have six cup finals remaining. We have to be consistent and deliver the right performances to get us into the Champions League.”
At the other end, Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner didn’t mince words about his squad’s lacklustre performance on the night. He was honest enough to concede that Newcastle’s pace and purpose was overwhelming for his team.
“They were too good in every part of the game… It’s a disappointing night but it’s not one to analyse too much.” – Oliver Glasner
Glasner admitted he regretted the missed penalty and acknowledged that could have altered the tide of the game.
Players’ Contributions
Jacob Murphy’s early goal proved to be the difference as Newcastle held on. His overall influence during the game was just as stunning. His confidence was palpable as he described his approach to scoring:
“I did mean it! When the juices are flowing, you’ve just got to hit it… I’m happy to get it and that we started off so well.” – Jacob Murphy
Murphy’s all around performance lit up the field. Along with dominant showings from their brothers-in-arms Barnes and Schar, the three projected a well-connected collective featuring a killer, one-minded instinct.
As Newcastle rides this remarkable wave, they are still just taking things one match at a time. They’re six more critical “cup finals” to go. More importantly, their aim would be to continue their impressive form and finish in the top four, qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
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