Report & Highlights: Palace suffer defeat at Newcastle

Summary:

• Club-record signing Johnson debuts for Palace from the start in our sole change.
• 7: The Eagles make a bright start on Tyneside, Hughes’ effort deflecting wide after good work from Johnson.
• 16: Henderson denies Schär from close range after a series of Newcastle set-pieces.
• 17: Gordon taps in for Newcastle after Wissa runs in behind, but VAR disallows for offside.
• 38: Lerma goes off as concussion substitute following a clash of heads with Thiaw.
• 41: Henderson beats away Hall’s powerful effort from the edge of the box.
• 45: Johnson makes a piercing run before laying back for Mateta, who sweeps narrowly wide first-time; Guéhi nods over the subsequent corner.
• 45+4: Hughes prods just wide after being found running from deep by Pino.
• HT: Newcastle 0-0 Palace
• 52: Newcastle start the second 45 on the attack, Henderson clawing clear from a corner.
• 62: Mitchell makes a fine block from Tonali’s first-time shot as Newcastle up the pressure.
• 65: Johnson tests Pope with a low shot at the culmination of a fast break.
• 68: Guimaraes hits the top of the crossbar direct from a corner.
• 72 – Goal: The Newcastle captain reacts sharpest to a bouncing ball to head home.
• 77: Henderson makes an excellent plunging save from Wissa’s header.
• 78 – Goal: Thiaw stabs home Newcastle’s second from the subsequent corner.
• 87: Academy graduate Rodney comes off the bench to make Premier League debut for Palace.
• 90+2: Willock misses an open goal after Barnes is denied by Henderson.
• FT: Newcastle 2-0 Palace

The festive fixtures continued to arrive thick and fast, with Palace’s trip to the North-East our 13th match in the space of 43 days.

There was the fillip, however, of the signing of Brennan Johnson from Tottenham Hotspur in a club-record deal just two days earlier – and our new No. 11 was straight in from the start at St. James’ Park in our only change from the side which drew 1-1 with Fulham just three days ago.

Both teams had been in mixed form going into the game, but it was Palace who made the brighter start in Newcastle, with the energetic Johnson heavily involved from the off.

One move after seven minutes saw Tyrick Mitchell deliver it low and Johnson, half a yard sharper than the Newcastle defenders around him, reach it, before laying off for Will Hughes to strike first-time from the edge of the box. The outside-of-the-boot effort had plenty of power, and took a deflection off a black and white shirt as it faded beyond the far post.

Palace’s recent record on this ground shows it to be a difficult place to play, but the Eagles were doing well to keep the home team’s opportunities – and therefore attacking momentum – to a minimum.

When there was a brief spell of sustained pressure around the quarter-of-the-hour mark, Newcastle found themselves frustrated by Dean Henderson – who made a fine reaction save to keep out Fabian Schär’s close-range header – and some fine aerial defending from the back three ahead of him.

On 17 minutes, Newcastle thought they had taken the lead when Yoane Wissa ran in behind and squared for Anthony Gordon to tap in from close range. Thankfully, VAR intervened – Wissa had gone early, and was offside.

Clear chances were few and far between in a stop-start first 45 minutes. Palace were pressing high in the final third and forcing consistent errors from their hosts, whilst doing well – with Hughes, Adam Wharton and Johnson often involved – to get the ball into threatening areas regularly.

One such break in play was caused by a clash of heads late on involving Jefferson Lerma and Malick Thiaw – the Palace man coming off for Jaydee Canvot, as per concussion protocols.

Henderson was called upon to make one two-handed save to beat away Lewis Hall’s drive from distance – but it was Palace who created a succession of chances on the stroke of half-time.

The first of them involved Johnson showing his pace in behind, before laying off for Jean-Philippe Mateta to hit first-time. His sweeping shot took a nick before narrowly clearing the far post – from the subsequent corner, Marc Guéhi headed over from a decent position.

Deep into stoppage time was Palace’s chance of the half, as a fine move, started by Lacroix’s block tackle in midfield, saw Hughes exchange passes – brilliantly – with Yéremy Pino, only to prod wide, on the stretch, after racing into the box.

Nevertheless, a stalemate was the very least Palace deserved for their committed display in the opening 45 minutes.

In the second-half, however, it was the hosts who created the better chances – albeit not for the wont of another committed Palace display, who did look threatening on the break on numerous occasions.

Set-pieces were prominent in Newcastle’s attacking approach, with Bruno Guimarães often aiming for the far post with his corner kicks – forcing Henderson to claw one away from beneath his own bar, and another even hitting the top of the woodwork.

Mitchell was called upon to make a fine block from Sandro Tonali’s first-time effort on the hour mark, somehow managing to then scramble it away on the floor.

Moments later, Palace broke and Johnson threatened, a breakaway involving Pino seeing the Spaniard slip in the latter down the channel. From a tight angle, the No. 11’s low effort across goal forced Nick Pope into a plunging save.

Then, on 72 minutes, Newcastle’s pressure from set-pieces told. After Lacroix had done well to head away Jacob Murphy’s free-kick, Harvey Barnes swung it back in and Lewis Miley headed back across goal, into the ground – the ball bouncing up for Guimarães to get ahead of his man, and head in from close range.

Palace continued to press forwards, but the momentum was with the home team and – seconds after Henderson made a fine low save from Wissa’s flicked header – a corner landed between several bodies at the feet of Thiaw, who stabbed home.

With three minutes to go, a moment of celebration for Palace, as Kaden Rodney came off the bench – alongside Joél Drakes-Thomas and Romain Esse – to make his Premier League debut for the club.

In stoppage time, it probably should have been three for Newcastle; after Henderson made a fine stop with his legs from Barnes, Joe Willock swept the rebound wide from six yards out.

In the end, Newcastle’s greater momentum in the second-half told – but even five minutes into stoppage time, Palace were seeking a route back into the game, Mitchell the Eagles’ furthest player forwards and causing panic in the box with a header back across goal.

A hard-fought battle which ended in defeat – Palace now turning their attentions to the visit of Aston Villa to Selhurst Park on Wednesday evening.

Newcastle: Pope (GK), Miley, Schär, Thiaw, Hall (Livramento, 63), Joelinton, Tonali (Ramsey, 63), Guimarães, Murphy (Willock, 88), Wissa, Gordon (Barnes, 63).

Subs: Ramsdale (GK), Trippier, Botman, Murphy, Woltemade.

Palace: Henderson (GK), Lerma (Canvot, 38), Guéhi, Lacroix, Clyne (Devenny, 52), Hughes, Wharton (Rodney, 87), Mitchell, Johnson (Uche, 72), Pino (Esse, 87), Mateta (Drakes-Thomas, 87).

Subs: Benítez (GK), Sosa, Benamar.

As It Happened