Premier League: Eagles are a Threat to the Magpies’ Euro Hopes

Crystal Palace vs Newcastle United

Top flight football is back on the midweek agenda folks and down in South London, Premier League: Crystal Palace vs Newcastle United will pack them in at Selhurst Park. 

Oliver Glasner’s Palace come into the game on the back of a thumping 5-2 win over Europe chasing West Ham, while Eddie Howe’s Newcastle reignited their own European hopes with a stunning 4-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur last week. There is an intense race for the sixth place, currently occupied by Newcastle and the Geordies will be keen to gather some momentum in the run-in.

The Eagles will be pretty relaxed now, sitting in 14^th and well clear of the drop zone, but they will not let up yet and have just hit some impressive form.       

The Crystal Palace vs Newcastle United betting odds point to a hard fought game but one thing I think we can pretty much guarantee, is entertainment.

Talking Points

Eagles are back on song

When Palace hosted the Hammers on Sunday they needed a result to end any lingering relegation worries and they certainly delivered for their fans with a scintillating display of attacking football. They simply blew the Hammers away with a first half blitz as goals from Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze and Jean Phillipe Mateta, along with an own goal from Emerson gave them a 4-0 lead. Michail Antonio pulled one back for the hapless Hammers but Mateta restored the four goal advantage midway through the second half. Even Dean Henderson’s late clanger which handed West Ham a second couldn’t take the gloss of the Eagles’ afternoon.

The Premier League table makes pleasant reading for the Palace fans as their team is all but safe, up to 14^th place and 11 points clear of the bottom three. They have had a difficult time this season with injuries to key players but they are almost back to full strength and, with Olise and Eze both on the score sheet the tough times seem to be well and truly over for the Eagles.

On the back of a headline grabbing win over Liverpool last week this result was a clear statement of intent; and the Magpies better beware.   

Barnes’ return is a big boost for the Magpies

After qualifying for the Champions League last season Newcastle fans were dreaming they may be involved in the 2023/24 title race but things just haven’t gone to plan. Howe has seen his side beset by injuries and he struggled to strengthen in the January window; but he has one or two key players returning and attacking midfielder Harvey Barnes has just made a welcome return.  

Alexander Isak scored twice while Anthony Gordon scored once and made two assists in the win over Spurs but Magpies fans were delighted to see those two summer recruits line up alongside Barnes for the first time.  

The three players cost a total of £145m last summer but fans had to wait until April to see them all on the pitch and they appeared with devastating effect. While Isak has proven his scoring skills and Gordon is starting to look like an England winger, they have missed the all round attacking play of the former Leicester City star.

Barnes is a clever player who is happy to run directly at defenders and can put in a killer pass to open the door for a team-mate; he is also one of the coolest finishers in the game.    

Following his summer transfer from the Foxes Barnes has been sidelined for most of the campaign with a foot injury and, with Joe Willock picking up an injury, his return could hardly have come at a better time, though Howe will wish it had been earlier! 

This is a huge game for the top six chasers. The Eagles’ win over West Ham certainly did Newcastle a favour, as well as Manchester United and Chelsea, who are all in the hunt for that sixth place. And fans of the Red Devils and the Blues will be keeping a close eye on the Crystal Palace vs Newcastle United updates on Wednesday night.  

History

The Magpies have enjoyed their encounters with the Eagles, winning 16 to the Palace’s  five and there have been eight draws.  

Recent form is comparable; Newcastle have won three drawn one and lost two of their last six games. Meanwhile Palace have won two, drawn two and lost two, beating Liverpool and losing to Manchester City in that sequence.   

Betting Tip

 Newcastle are the favourites to win this fascinating clash, at SBOTOP odds of 2.18 with the Eagles at 2.88 and the Draw is at 3.37.

The Geordies need a win and they will go for the Eagles with a front three their fans have long awaited. And I think Palace will play with freedom, full of confidence and no pressure… and that spells goals in my book.

 

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