Selhurst Park hosts one of the weekend's most intriguing fixtures as Crystal Palace welcome Newcastle United in a Premier League clash that carries weight at both ends of the table. Palace are desperate to put distance between themselves and the bottom three, while Newcastle are chasing a result that keeps their European ambitions alive.
Palace Looking to Find Their Footing
Oliver Glasner's Crystal Palace have shown real signs of life in recent weeks, particularly in their attacking play. Eberechi Eze has been at the heart of everything good about this Palace side — a player capable of producing a moment of individual brilliance at any given moment. His direct running, his ability to shift the ball onto his left foot and finish, makes him one of the hardest players to contain at this level.
Palace will need him at his best here. Newcastle are disciplined and organised out of possession, and Glasner will be hoping his attacking players can exploit whatever space Eddie Howe's backline leaves. The home crowd at Selhurst will play their part — it remains one of the most atmospheric grounds in English football on a match day.
Newcastle's Top-Four Push Continues
Newcastle come into this fixture with European football very much the prize on their horizon. Alexander Isak has been one of the signings of the modern Premier League era — a clinical, intelligent centre-forward who scores goals across all types of situations. His movement is difficult to track and his finishing, when he gets a sight of goal, tends to be decisive.
Eddie Howe has built something genuine at St James' Park, and his side have proven they can go to difficult grounds and grind out results. Their defensive organisation gives them a platform, and when they can funnel the ball quickly to Isak in transition, they are genuinely dangerous on the counter-attack.
Key Battles to Watch
The duel between Eze and whoever Newcastle deploy on the left side of their midfield will be fascinating. Palace will want their talisman on the ball as often as possible, and Newcastle will need to be disciplined without the ball to prevent him from having too much space in the final third.
At the other end, Isak against the Palace centre-backs will be the contest that could determine the outcome. Palace have shown vulnerability at set pieces and from crosses this season, and Newcastle — with their physicality and variety from wide areas — will look to exploit any lapses in concentration.
The Prediction
This is a tight one. Palace at Selhurst with a raucous crowd behind them are dangerous, but Newcastle have the individual quality to hurt any team in the league on their day. Expect a competitive, physical affair. A draw would not surprise, but Newcastle's depth and attacking quality may just edge it.
Match preview: Crystal Palace vs Newcastle United | Premier League | Selhurst Park | Key players: Eberechi Eze, Alexander Isak
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