Report & Highlights: Palace suffer heavy defeat at St. James' Park

Summary:

• Two changes for Palace as Guéhi and Hughes return to starting XI.
• 7: Henderson denies Isak with low stop, before Richards heads over at the other end.
• 14 – GOAL: Murphy’s venomous near-post effort finds top corner from a tight angle.
• 35: Pope fouls Richards inside the box; Eze’s penalty kept out by the goalkeeper.
• 37 – GOAL: Barnes’ pull-back deflects in for a Palace own-goal.
• 45+3 – GOAL: Barnes trebles Newcastle’s lead in first-half stoppage time.
• 45+7 – GOAL: Schär glances in the hosts’ fourth.
• HT: Newcastle 4-0 Palace
• 51: Henderson makes superb save to deny Isak after half-time.
• 58 – GOAL: Joelinton wins the ball high, and Isak bends a finish into the corner.
• 62: Muñoz’s close-range header is blocked on the Newcastle line.
• 90: Wharton capitalises on a loose backpass but miscues pass to Nketiah.
• FT: Newcastle 5-0 Palace

Palace had suffered what was a first away league defeat in 11 matches at the weekend, and made two changes to their starting XI: Marc Guéhi, suspended for the loss at Manchester City, and Will Hughes were both restored to the side.

Newcastle, meanwhile, were coming off the back of five straight wins – including their successful Carabao Cup final against Liverpool – and, unchanged for the sixth game in a row, began the contest with fierce purpose.

After just seven minutes, Kieran Trippier won the ball on the halfway line and drove into space, releasing Jacob Murphy, whose pull-back towards the edge of the box was hit first-time by the in-form Alexander Isak.

Dean Henderson, plunging low to his left, did superbly to deny him – and Palace broke at lightning pace, with only a last-ditch challenge preventing Daniel Muñoz from picking out Jean-Philippe Mateta in front of goal.

From the subsequent corner, Chris Richards’ run took him into space, but the defender could not climb high enough to direct Hughes’ delivery on target.

As the half wore on, however, Newcastle increasingly dominated. Isak ought to have scored moments later, but flashed a header over from Murphy’s flat cross from six yards out.

On the 14-minute mark, they took the leader – a wondergoal from Murphy, whose rising drive from a tight angle seared past Henderson and into the top corner with venom.

Palace responded with a spell of dominance in possession, but struggled to break down Newcastle’s backline – until, on the half-hour mark, a lifeline emerged.

Ebere Eze’s set-piece delivery tempted Nick Pope to race recklessly from his line, and the Newcastle goalkeeper clattered into Richards on the follow-through. Following a lengthy VAR review, a penalty was awarded, and Eze stepped up to take it – but he was denied by Pope, who’d second-guessed the attacker’s intention from 12 yards.

The ruthless nature of the Premier League came to the fore just a couple of minutes later, as Newcastle raced forwards and Harvey Barnes’ pull-back took the cruellest of deflections off Guéhi to trickle over the line.

A heroic Richards block from close-range denied Isak a third moments later, but with seven minutes of stoppage time signalled, Newcastle put the result beyond doubt ahead of the half-time whistle.

As Palace poured bodies forwards, the hosts countered at pace, with Barnes first picking out the bottom corner with a clinical finish, before Fabian Schär glanced home a fourth from Murphy’s free-kick delivery on the stroke of half-time.

After the break, only a super stop from Henderson denied Isak – who had raced onto a Dan Burn flick-on – Newcastle’s fifth.

But moments after Glasner had made a triple change for Palace, the Swedish forward was not to be denied; the Eagles ceded possession too close to their own box, and Isak swept home a precise low finish for Newcastle’s fifth goal.

The Eagles’ first real chance of the half arrived on 62 minutes as Mitchell’s high cross found Muñoz unmarked at the far post – but a crowd of bodies on the line saw the Colombian’s header bounce away from danger.

In the closing stages there was one final opportunity for Palace, substitute Adam Wharton pouncing on a loose backpass – but the midfielder could not find fellow substitute Eddie Nketiah, who then had another effort kept out by the imposing frame of Pope.

Newcastle: Pope (GK), Trippier (Krafth, 79), Schar, Burn, Livramento, Guimaraes (Longstaff, 72), Tonali, Joelinton (Willock, 62), Murphy (Gordon, 72), Isak (Wilson, 72), Barnes.

Subs: Dubravka (GK), Targett, Osula, Miley.

Palace: Henderson (GK), Richards, Lacroix, Guéhi, Muñoz, Lerma (Devenny, 85), Hughes (Wharton, 57), Mitchell, Sarr (Esse, 76), Eze (Kamada, 57), Mateta (Nketiah, 57).

Subs: Turner (GK), Clyne, Chilwell, França, Nketiah.

As It Happened