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Date: Wednesday 24th April 2024, 8pm
(not on live UK TV)
Venue:
Selhurst Park
Conditions: Ruffled
Programme: £3.50
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Crystal Palace |
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Newcastle |
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2 - 0 |
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Teams |
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Half time: Eagles
0 Magpies 0
55 mins Emil
Krafth's hoof upfield from the left back position fell to Joachim Andersen on
halfway and he played it forward to the unattended Eze. Both Fabian Schar and
Dan Burn were tempted towards Jean-Philippe Mateta as he received a pass on the
edge of the box; his first-time pass back to Jordan Ayew on the edge of the box
matched by the Ghanaian's return ball.
That set Mateta free on goal and he rattled the ball past Dubravka from a
position roughly level with the penalty spot at the Holmesdale End. 0-1
88 mins Elliot Anderson played a short pass infield from halfway on the
United right to Longstaff, who was instantly challenged by Jeffrey Schlupp and
fell over. The ball ran back over halfway towards the visitor's goal and was
taken on by Will Hughes, who reached the edge of the box before spraying a pass
out to the overlapping Schlupp.
Hughes continued his run towards the near post and took the ball in his stride
when it was pinged to him, helping it on to the arriving Mateta, who shot home
from close range through the legs of both Burn and Dubravka. 0-2
Full time: Eagles
2 Magpies 0
Eddie Howe
said:
"It's very disappointing, from the
high of Spurs to the low of tonight. We started well for two minutes. We were
disappointing in most aspects of our play and we have to take responsibility for
that. The match unravelled into an uncomfortable feeling.
"We gave the ball away too much, we didn't attack well and if baffled me
that we were reluctant to shoot. None of our game was in a good place.
"Disappointed especially with the first 60 minutes. We were nowhere near
where we wanted to be. Disappointed with our technical performance today, we are
usually better than that.
"It was a difficult game for us. We were below our best levels. Crystal
Palace played well. It was a high-pressing game, we were both trying to high
press each other but they more effective with their game than we were.
"We're disappointed. We
came alive a bit in the second half and had moments and
opportunities but we weren't good enough.
On a downturn in performance after
a break:
"That's always a fear. We worked to try and make sure that
wasn't a factor in the game - Crystal Palace were better than us
today. We can't make excuses, we're going to blame ourselves and try
to come back better."
On Sean Longstaff's penalty appeal:
"It's a 50-50 call. If the referee gives it, he doesn't
overturn the decision with VAR. He obviously didn't think it was a
penalty at the time and we have to respect that."
On Callum Wilson's return after a
10 game absence:
"Callum's return is more than welcome and he gave us a
different dimension when he came on today."
On Tino Livramento:
"Tino is still struggling with his ankle - that's why he
didn't come onto the pitch. He was there for an emergency really.
Can he play at the weekend? I'm not sure. We certainly don't want to
give him a long-term problem. He's technically fit enough to be able
to enter the pitch, but it's sort of high risk."
On the prospects of European qualification:
"It's still on. We're still in the mix but we can't play
like we did today if we're going to maintain our push to be in the
European places. There's certainly a lot to reflect on.
"There is a big opportunity for us, we can't let (our
season) peter out and we've got a big chance to quickly bounce
back."
Oliver
Glasner:
"It was a great performance, so all the credit to the players today for the
performance, for the energy, for the intensity, for the offensive way of
playing, always trying to score goals.
"Of course it's a good feeling also now
to have completed mission number one – staying in the Premier League
mathematically – so it's a good feeling, and I hope that the players get
addicted to winning games, to this feeling, to these emotions. Today, it was
really a very good performance.
"They are showing what they're able to
do. I told you when I arrived we are not magicians, so we can just encourage
them and get their qualities on the pitch. We also have to say ‘thank you’
to the players for the trust they gave us from day number one, because we
changed many things. They were always listening, they were always working hard,
they gave us the trust and believed in what we were telling them.
"We had many opportunities to score in
the first games, but we didn't have the results and they were still trusting us,
still listening to us. It shows the character of the players, and that's what’s
helped us.
"It's great to see how the players can
play. When I saw the first 30 minutes, I was so impressed by the intensity we
played with. I was really scared – it’s not a joke – I was really scared
if they continued playing like this that we’d have to make 10 substitutions in
minute 60, because I couldn't believe what I saw.
"There were moments Newcastle didn't
get out of their half and it's Newcastle playing for the European League,
playing in the Champions League this season. There's a lot of quality, there's a
lot of speed and how they work together is really amazing.
"This is the way we want to go together
and it's a lot of effort, it's a lot of discipline, it's a lot of hard work and
the players are doing it, so that's why I say all the credit to the players,
because we're just telling them what they have to do – and they’re doing it
really well.
"For me, it's important to stay humble
for all of us, because there are always tight decisions. Maybe if we conceded a
penalty it would be 1-1 at that time, and it was when Newcastle were maybe a
little bit fresher because they didn't have a game three days before, but then
we scored for 2-0 and the game was decided.
"It's always tight so you have to work hard for this, and then you get the
reward. For us it's staying hungry and staying ambitious, because everything we
do, we do for the club, we do for our fans and we do for us as a group.
"Now we feel how good it is, everybody
knows how good it is to win a game, and since the Liverpool game we're flying on
a cloud, and it's so nice there because it's sunny and not raining below the
clouds!
"We want to keep this feeling until the
end of the season. Again, this is hard work, but the players give me the
confidence that they are really hard working for the future.”
With three games still to play, Newcastle suffered their tenth
PL away defeat of the season, a total they have only exceeded nine times
in their 29 full campaigns in that competition.
3 2022/23
5 1996/97, 2001/02, 2003/04,
7 1995/96, 2018/19
8 1993/94, 1998/99, 2011/12
9 1994/95, 2002/03, 2004/05, 2010/11, 2020/21
10 1997/98, 1999/00, 2000/01, 2012/13, 2021/22, 2023/24
11 2005/06, 2007/08, 2008/09, 2013/14, 2017/18, 2019/20
12 2006/07, 2014/15
14 2015/16
Elliot Anderson played his 50th senior competitive game for
United in all competitions (13 starts).
Since Christian Benteke beat Karl Darlow here in October 2021, Palace
had failed to net against United in all five home and away league and cup
meetings. Mateta's opener ended that sequence after 539 minutes.
Magpies v Eagles @ Selhurst - all time:
2023/24 lost 0-2
2022/23 drew 0-0
2021/22 drew 1-1 Wilson
2020/21 won 2-0 Wilson, Joelinton
2019/20 lost 0-1
2018/19 drew 0-0
2017/18 drew 1-1 Diame
2015/16 lost 1-5 Cisse
2014/15 drew 1-1 Cisse
2014/15 won 3-2 (aet) Riviere 2, Dummett (LC)
2013/14 won 3-0 Cabaye, og(Gabbidon), Ben Arfa
2009/10 won 2-0 Nolan, Ryan Taylor
2004/05 won 2-0 Kluivert, Bellamy
1997/98 won 2-1 Tomasson, Ketsbaia
1994/95 won 1-0 Beardsley
1983/84 lost 1-3 Beardsley
1982/83 won 2-0 Waddle, Varadi
1981/82 won 2-1 Waddle, Mills
1978/79 lost 0-1
1972/73 drew 0-0 (AI)
1972/73 lost 1-2 Tudor
1971/72 lost 0-2
1970/71 lost 0-1
1969/70 won 3-0 Davies, Dyson, Robson
1964/65 drew 1-1 Cummings
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Waffle |
Newcastle returned to Premier League action on Wednesday at
Selhurst Park, but it was Crystal Palace whose identity was intensity; showing
superior momentum and purpose on the back of successive victories.
Unchanged from the side that put four past Spurs without reply, the Magpies
seldom looked comfortable and were repeatedly harried into mistakes when in
possession, leaving home custodian Dean Henderson with barely a save to make
throughout the entire game.
Oliver Glasner's Eagles proved to be a radically different outfit from the one
led by Roy Hodgson that shipped four goals on Tyneside in October: confident,
aggressive and full of running. Given that they'd played on Saturday while the Magpies were enjoying an 11 day
fixture break, something was awry here tonight, but to lay the blame totally at
our own door diminishes the quality of Palace.
What proved to be United's best scoring opportunity came in the opening minutes
when Harvey Barnes had a clear route to goal as he raced into the area - but
made a failed attempt at finding Anthony Gordon with a flamboyant back heel when
a shot looked far more sensible.
From that point on the home side dominated central midfield and the elusive
Eberechi Eze - strongly linked with a move to Tyneside when at QPR - continually
found space around the visitors box.
Despite that though, Palace didn't seriously threaten to end a goal drought
against Newcastle that was over eight hours at the first whistle: Martin
Dubravka beaten only by Jean-Phillippe Mateta's rocket late in the half that
shook the crossbar but came from an offside position.
United weren't as hapless as they looked at half time in their last London visit
at Craven Cottage, but another scoreless first 45 minutes left room for
improvement.
Sadly it was Palace who found the breakthrough on 55 minutes, Mateta exchanging
passes with Jordan Ayew before firing past Dubravka to register a goal for the
fifth successive home game.
The origins of that opener were in slack marking and another self-inflicted
wound saw Mateta claim his and Palace's second of the night on 88 minutes. Sean
Longstaff seemed to have been fouled in the build-up, but referee Tom Bramall
was uninterested.
Bramall had booked Longstaff in the aftermath of a 77th minute penalty
appeal when the Newcastle midfielder was through on goal but went down under
contact from Hughes seeking a penalty rather than getting his shot off.
As Palace hurriedly restarted play, the referee initially appeared unwilling to
consult VAR and only halted the game when strenuous Newcastle protests followed
- Longstaff booked for foul and abusive language at that point rather than
simulation.
Our initial reaction was to blame the Newcastle player for needlessly going to
ground, but watching the replays caused a partial reclassification to "I've
seen them given". Whether Longstaff's form for falling over was in the mind
of the referee or the VAR checker isn't known, but it was in ours; this
unwelcome element
seems to have crept into his game lately.
The introduction of fit-again Callum Wilson from the bench in the 65th minute
had failed to increase his side's potency in front of goal, coinciding with a
change in formation to a back four. Until that point, United had gone with the
back three/five with Anderson and Murphy as wing backs - neither who looked
particularly comfortable or productive in their roles. It's fair to say that the
hosts were rather more "at it" than Spurs had been.
On a night when the Eagles mathematically secured their top-flight status this
season, defeat for Newcastle raised fresh doubts over their European
aspirations, albeit in the context of fielding a half-fit second striker and
several squad players. The injuries are less pivotal but still a factor.
European rivals Manchester United meanwhile twice came from behind at home to defeat Sheffield
United 4-2, taking them three points clear of Eddie Howe's side, who dropped one
place into seventh.
The Blades are next up at Gallowgate on Saturday, while the Red Devils
host fellow strugglers Burnley. Our visit to Old Trafford next month is starting
to have "a winner takes all" element to it.
Biffa
This report is dedicated to Johnny Robinson - the life-long Mag recently
passed away
at the age of 65. Our condolences go to his family and friends in Middleton St
George.
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