Crystal Palace 2 Newcastle 0: Mateta continues stunning recent form to dent Magpies’ European ambitions
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CRYSTAL PALACE fans could not wait for the season to finish a few weeks ago, now they must not want it to end.
After a rocky start with one win in six, Oliver Glasner has the Eagles soaring once more, racking up a third straight Premier League win with some salivating football to boot.
Having toppled Liverpool and then crashed five past West Ham at the weekend, Palace made light work of Newcastle in South London.
Jean-Philippe Mateta delivered a double to make it eight goals in as many games under Glasner.
Mateta’s name will go down on the scoresheet but Eberechi Eze was at the heart of this Palace performance – dazzling on the ball and happy to try anything taking on those in black and white.
His return to form and fitness will have been noted by the recruitment departments among the top six.
Eddie Howe, looking to tighten his grip on a European finish, was able to welcome Callum Wilson back to the squad for the first time since February following injury, with the striker among the substitutes.
Michael Olise started the night on the bench for Palace, but his partner in crime, Eze, was out to impress from the off.
The midfielder created the first real chance of the night, shifting left the right on the edge of the box before sending a low effort narrowly wide of the post.
The No10 lifted a cross into the box which was headed over by Mateta before Adam Wharton sent a low strike at Martin Dubravka.
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Palace could not quite take advantage of their fast start and were almost caught out at the other end – where Dean Henderson game to the rescue.
The Eagles keeper, making a late case to be included in the England squad for Euro 2024, rushed out and excellently stopped Alexander Isak after the Swede had been sent through alone by Bruno Guimaraes.
Palace continued to play the more intricate, attractive football of the two and with Eze keeping the tempo high after the break they finally got a breakthrough.
Eze was left in acres of space in the Toon half and picked out Mateta on the edge of the box. With his back to goal the striker laid the ball off to Jordan Ayew, spun in behind and collected the return before finishing across Dubravka.
It was a wonderfully worked goal, the sort Palace fans felt was a long old way off when Roy Hodgson was still in the dugout.
His successor, Glasner, will point to the fact that, unlike Hodgson, he now has fit players to pick from. But this Palace side certainly look well coached and confident.
Eze continued to probe, dancing around those in black and white who looked incapable of getting near him, but fell just short of grabbing what would have been an extremely well deserved goal.
Palace had to show a tougher side late on, hanging in there as Newcastle pushed for a leveller and saw a their penalty shout denied when Sean Longstaff hit the deck having been pulled back by Will Hughes.
But while the Toon huffed and puffed, Palace delivered another smooth goal to kill them off. Hughes and Tyrick Mitchell exchanged passes down the left before the midfielder cut back for Mateta to grab his second.
