Newcastle arrived at Selhurst Park carrying the weight of recent history. Last April, they demolished Crystal Palace 5-0 at St James’ Park, with Alexander Isak capping off a dominant display. Fast forward to this clash, and the narrative flipped entirely. Eddie Howe’s side slumped to a third consecutive defeat, undone by a late surge from Oliver Glasner’s resurgent Eagles.
Jean-Philippe Mateta emerged as the hero, entering as a second-half substitute and delivering a decisive double. His 80th-minute header leveled the score before he coolly converted a penalty in stoppage time to secure a dramatic 2-1 victory for Palace.
The match began with Newcastle seizing an unlikely advantage. Against the flow of play, William Osula pounced from close range just before halftime to put the visitors ahead. That goal, however, failed to mask their underlying fragility. Even with the lead, Newcastle appeared tentative and low on confidence, still reeling from demoralizing losses to Barcelona and, more critically, Sunderland last month.
Palace sensed the vulnerability. Glasner’s tactical shift, introducing Mateta off the bench, proved inspired. The French striker injected immediate energy, nodding home the equalizer with 10 minutes remaining to swing momentum firmly in Palace’s favor.
The winner arrived from a moment of defensive lapse. Sven Botman’s shirt-pull on Jefferson Lerma inside the area gifted Palace a penalty in the dying moments. Mateta stepped up and drilled his spot-kick into the bottom right corner, sealing a comeback that highlighted Newcastle’s ongoing struggles.
This result extends Newcastle’s losing streak to three games, raising questions about their resilience under pressure. For Palace, it marks another step forward under Glasner, fueled by Mateta’s clinical impact off the bench. The contrast from last year’s 5-0 thrashing could not be starker—a testament to Palace’s growth and Newcastle’s current woes.
