Report & Highlights: Sensational Selhurst roars Palace to stunning late comeback

Off the back of a goalscoring display against Fiorentina in midweek, the forward was introduced midway through the second-half with Palace trailing to a scrambled effort from Will Osula late in the first-half.

And with Selhurst and the Holmesdale at its very loudest, Mateta first stooped to nod in Tyrick Mitchell’s pull-back on 80 minutes – the full-back capping his 200th Premier League appearance with an assist – before the Frenchman converted a penalty kick deep into injury time to complete the late victory.

Palace’s win sees them leapfrog Newcastle and move up to 13th in the table with seven games to go.

Summary:

• Five changes for Palace following 3-0 win over Fiorentina, with fully-rotated midfield and forward lines.
• Mitchell becomes youngest Palace player to reach 200 Premier League appearance.s
• 19: Richards makes an important clearance from Livramento’s teasing ball.
• 22: Lacroix puts in a vital challenge on Gordon as Newcastle threaten on the break.
• 35: Pino and Muñoz force Ramsdale into impressive double save in first clear chances of the half.
• 37: Canvot reaches Pino’s corner ahead of Ramsdale but, disorientated, heads over.
• 39: Mitchell’s teasing cross almost pops up for Muñoz; Hall defends it well.
• 43 – Goal: Osula pounces in front of goal to give Newcastle the lead.
• HT: Palace 0-1 Newcastle
• 50: Henderson makes a vital low stop from Osula to keep Palace in the contest.
• 62: Pino bends high and wide after stepping onto Mitchell’s pull-back.
• 65: Glasner makes a triple change as Eagles seek a way back into the match.
• 69: Lerma thumps a header against the crossbar from Pino’s set-piece delivery.
• 80 – GOAL: Mateta heads home from Mitchell’s cute pass to earn Palace parity.
• 90+3: Botman pulls back Lerma from a long throw, and a penalty is awarded.
• 90+4 – GOAL: Mateta’s emphatic spot-kick seals the late turnaround.
• FT: Palace 2-1 Newcastle

Palace went into the game little under three days after of one of Selhurst’s all-time greatest evenings: a 3-0 win over Fiorentina in the first leg of the UEFA Conference League quarter-finals.

Perhaps with the second leg in mind – as well as the physical threat Newcastle are renowned for posing – Oliver Glasner fully rotated his front line for Sunday’s match, with Yéremy Pino, Jørgen Strand Larsen and Brennan Johnson all starting, and Jefferson Lerma and Will Hughes coming into midfield.

There was more to celebrate elsewhere, however, with Tyrick Mitchell – at 26 years old, seven months and 11 days – becoming the youngest-ever Palace player to reach 200 Premier League appearances for the club, our fifth-highest appearance-maker in the competition beating Wilfried Zaha’s record.

Palace matches with Newcastle at Selhurst Park have often been tight, tense affairs – just eight goals in the last five such fixtures in SE25 in the Premier League – and the first-half certainly lived up to that billing.

With Newcastle having enjoyed a three-week break in between matches, and Palace likewise, the half – played in the South London sunshine – took a while to come to the boil, with only threatening deliveries from the two teams’ right-sided full-backs – Daniel Muñoz for Palace and Tino Livramento for the visitors – truly threatening early on.

Despite that, Pino – lively in midweek – was looking a threat for Palace again with some driving runs from deep, and clever link-ups with Strand Larsen.

But at the other end, all three of Jaydee Canvot and Maxence Lacroix were forced to make important block tackles on Will Osula and Anthony Gordon respectively to prevent them from getting shots away on the break.

It wasn’t until 35 minutes in that either goalkeeper was truly tested – and Pino was the producer of the chance, jinking in from the left and bending a dipping effort towards the far corner.

Aaron Ramsdale got down to meet it in the Newcastle goal, the ball fizzing back out to Muñoz who – with not much of the goal to aim at – managed to get his first-time rebound on target. To Ramsdale’s credit, the ‘keeper sprung back up to his feet and got a fist on it to prevent the strike from nestling into the back of the net.

The moment seemed to inspire Palace for a 10-minute spell of concerted pressure, and moments later, Pino’s corner found Canvot inside the six-yard box. The Frenchman leapt high and met it ahead of Ramsdale – he was unsighted, however, and could only head over the bar.

And seconds later, Muñoz came close again when Mitchell’s whipped delivery cleared Pino at the near post, bouncing up for the Colombian to attack; Lewis Hall did well to divert it back to Ramsdale for Newcastle.

Then, on the stroke of half-time – and somewhat against the run of play – Newcastle took the lead.

A passing triangle on the right wing from Jacob Murphy, Sandro Tonali and Lewis Miley saw the latter flash a low ball in which Lacroix met on the slide. The intervention took the pace of the cross, but it still managed to reach Osula, who did well to adjust on the floor and shovel the ball beyond Dean Henderson.

It was a harsh reflection on the first-half from a Palace perspective – but Newcastle almost doubled their lead in the early stages of the second-half.

A slack pass at the back saw Osula run in behind and, although Lacroix did well to force him wide, the forward still got a shot across goal away, one which Henderson did brilliantly to kick away with his legs and keep his team in the contest.

From there, Palace resumed their general dominance, with Pino ever-lively; on 62 minutes, the Spaniard took a clever touch onto Mitchell’s pull-back, opening up his body to curl towards the near post – the effort cleared the crossbar.

On 65 minutes, Glasner looked to bring in further attacking inspiration, as Adam Wharton, Ismaïla Sarr and Jean-Philippe Mateta – the latter two goalscorers in midweek – entered the field of play in one fell swoop.

And just four minutes later, after Mateta had won a free-kick in a promising position out wide, Pino swung the ball in and Lerma – yards out, perhaps too close to goal if anything – crashed a thumping header square against the crossbar.

Newcastle posed a few problems with aerial balls in the next quarter-of-an-hour, but it was Palace creating the real threat.

And then, on 80 minutes, the fully-deserved equaliser. The move was kickstarted by Canvot driving the ball through midfield, allowing second-half substitute Daichi Kamada to spray it out to Muñoz.

His fizzed cross evaded the two attackers in support but reached Mitchell who, on his landmark day and on his left foot, looked set to shoot.

Out raced Ramsdale – only to be deceived by our No. 3, who instead clipped it back towards Mateta, who – days after returning to the scoresheet against Fiorentina – nodded into the unguarded net for his first Premier League goal since, following his injury, New Year's Day.

But Palace weren’t done there – not by a long stretch.

With Newcastle looking increasingly threatening in the closing stages, the Eagles held their ground amidst a late aerial siege.

And with the final seconds of the match looming, Chris Richards launched in a long throw which led to Sven Botman taking a chunk of Lerma's sleeve, the referee awarding the spot kick.

Up stepped a Mateta flowing with confidence, with the chance to win in with 95 minutes on the clock.

Win it he did, burying the ball beyond the dive of Ramsdale and into the bottom-right corner to send Selhurst – for the second time in three days – into a state of delirium.

What a start to the season run-in it has been.

Palace: Henderson (GK), Richards, Lacroix, Canvot, Muñoz, Hughes (Wharton, 65), Lerma, Mitchell (Sosa, 90+6), Johnson (Sarr, 65), Strand Larsen (Mateta, 65), Pino (Kamada, 76).

Subs: Benítez (GK), Clyne, Riad, Devenny.

Newcastle: Ramsdale (GK), Livramento, Botman, Thiaw, Hall, Joelinton, Tonali (Wissa, 90+5), Miley (Ramsey, 85), Murphy (Elanga, 90+5), Osula (Woltemade, 85), Gordon (Barnes, 71).

Subs: Pope (GK), Trippier, Burn, Willock.

As It Happened