Magpies win for a sixth consecutive match to boost Champions League hopes
Newcastle United climbed to third in the Premier League and took control of the race for UEFA Champions League qualification with a 5-0 win over Crystal Palace.
In a game that was rescheduled due to their successful trip to the EFL Cup final last month, Newcastle were out of sight by half-time at a jubilant St James’ Park.
A stunning strike from Jacob Murphy got the Magpies up and running, then they ran riot after Nick Pope saved an Eberechi Eze penalty.
Harvey Barnes and Fabian Schar netted either side of Marc Guehi‘s own goal to put the hosts 4-0 up at the break, then Alexander Isak‘s curler rounded off the scoring in the 58th minute.
Newcastle – who again had Jason Tindall in the dugout as Eddie Howe continues to recover in hospital from pneumonia – are two points clear of fourth-placed Nottingham Forest, while Palace stay 12th.
| Position | Club | Played | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Liverpool |
32 | +43 | 76 |
| 2 |  Arsenal |
32 | +30 | 63 |
| 3 |  Newcastle |
32 | +21 | 59 |
| 4 |  Nott’m Forest |
32 | +13 | 57 |
| 5 |  Man City |
32 | +20 | 55 |
| 6 |  Chelsea |
32 | +17 | 54
|
How the match unfolded
Isak had already gone close twice before Murphy put Newcastle ahead, firing a spectacular shot inside Dean Henderson‘s near-post from a tight angle on the right.
Palace had a golden chance to level in the 36th minute as Pope clattered Chris Richards while coming out to punch, with Darren England awarding the penalty after a VAR review.
But Eze rolled a tame effort straight at Pope. Just two minutes later, Newcastle had their second goal, Guehi deflecting Barnes’ cutback into his own net.
Two more Newcastle goals followed in first-half stoppage time, with Barnes firing across goal to cap a devastating counter-attack and Schar glancing Murphy’s deep free-kick home.
Isak fired straight at Henderson from a great position early in the second half, but he got in on the act soon afterwards, curling home from distance after Maxence Lacroix had lost possession.
Palace’s best chance for a consolation saw Daniel Munoz‘s header blocked by his own team-mate Eddie Nketiah, summing up a chastening outing for Oliver Glasner‘s team.
Newcastle hit stride at perfect time
Since exiting the FA Cup to Brighton & Hove Albion in early March, Newcastle have won six straight games in all competitions, the last three in dominant fashion.
After routing Leicester City 3-0 and Manchester United 4-1, the Magpies stepped things up a notch in their game in hand.
It was just the fifth time they had led by four or more goals at half-time in the Premier League, with Murphy and Barnes showing the way.
Before Murphy scored one of the goals of the season, rattling a shot past Henderson from near the byline, Isak had already had two decent opportunities – he worked Henderson from 18 yards in the seventh minute then nodded just over two minutes later.
Newcastle’s third goal was a thing of beauty as Sandro Tonali fed Barnes on the break, and the in-form winger beat Lacroix with a cheeky stepover before firing across goal and in.
Isak was determined to join them on the scoresheet and would not be denied in the second half, curling in from distance for his 21st Premier League goal of the season. He is now level in the scoring charts with Erling Haaland, six behind Mohamed Salah.
With a wealth of attacking talent available and momentum firmly behind them, Newcastle are in control of their destiny, ahead of Saturday’s clash with fellow Champions League hopefuls Aston Villa.
No wind beneath Eagles’ wings
The news that the Premier League will have five Champions League spots for next season also came as music to the ears of Palace supporters.
Newcastle sealed UEFA Europa Conference League qualification via their EFL Cup triumph, but if the Magpies qualify for the Champions League or UEFA Europa League via their Premier League finish, that spot will be passed down.
Glasner’s men were targeting Europe when they won seven of 10 league games between mid-January and Saturday’s trip to Manchester City. But their collapse from 2-0 up to a 5-2 defeat at the Etihad Stadium seems to have taken the wind out of their sails.
There was little Palace could do when Murphy sent a rocket of a shot into the top-right corner, but Wednesday’s game got away from them within the space of two minutes late in the first half.
Pope refused to blink when Eze – who had scored both of his previous Premier League penalties – stepped up, and he only had to make the slightest movement to his left to hold a tame attempt.
Fewer than 120 seconds later, Guehi – who was reportedly of interest to Newcastle last summer – scored an own goal when facing the Magpies for the second time this campaign.
Palace will now surely see the FA Cup as their most likely route to Europe. Before their semi-final against Villa, they face AFC Bournemouth and Arsenal in the Premier League.
What the managers said
Oliver Glasner: “I think Newcastle were excellent and have showed this in the last few weeks. We couldn’t deal with their intensity and directness and pace. When we had the situation to get into the game it didn’t work. There are some days where nothing works, and at the same time everything worked for Newcastle.”
Jason Tindall: “We spoke pre-game about maintaining the standards we set ourselves at the weekend, about being really aggressive and on the front foot. I thought the players went about that and executed that brilliantly.”
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Key facts
Guehi has scored an own goal in both games against Newcastle in the Premier League this season, just the second time a player has done so home and away against an opponent in a single campaign (after Jamie Carragher v Tottenham Hotspur in 1998/99).
Newcastle have won four consecutive home games in the Premier League for the first time since a run of seven between September-December 2023, while the Magpies have recorded their biggest victory on home soil since April 2023 v Spurs (6-1).
After Palace lost 5-2 to Manchester City on Saturday, this was just the ninth different instance of the same team conceding five or more goals in consecutive Premier League games, while it is the first time that the Eagles have conceded five goals or more in consecutive matches across all competitions since February 1935.
Glasner suffered his joint-heaviest defeat in his managerial career, with this game just the second time one of his sides have conceded five or more goals away from home – after his Eintracht Frankfurt side did so v Borussia Dortmund in August 2021 (lost 5-2).
