Crystal Palace’s winless run stretched to four matches as they were beaten 2-0 at home by Newcastle at Selhurst Park, leaving the club just a point outside the relegation zone and the pressure mounting on manager Pierre Sage. Second-half goals from William Osula and Harvey Barnes sealed the win for the Magpies.
Crystal Palace vs Newcastle (Credits: BBC Sport)
Crystal Palace 0-2 Newcastle: Osula and Barnes strike
The first half was largely devoid of chances for either side, with Palace having a few opportunities to take the lead but failing to convert. The deadlock lasted less than two minutes after the restart: Osula latched onto a pinpoint Jacob Murphy cross and prodded home, his seventh goal in his last 13 Premier League matches after scoring just two in his first 50.
Joe Willock thought he had doubled Newcastle’s lead soon after, but his goal was chalked off by VAR for offside. It mattered little — Barnes doubled the advantage two minutes before the hour, sealing a vital win for Newcastle as they bounced back from consecutive defeats.
Pressure mounts on Pierre Sage after Palace defeat
The result piles further pressure on Sage, whose side had shown signs of a response in Thursday’s encouraging 2-2 Europa League draw at Besiktas following last Sunday’s 5-0 drubbing at Brighton. Instead, a dreadful second-half showing at home has raised the scrutiny on the under-fire boss once again.
Palace now sit just a point above the drop zone, and attention quickly turns to their trip to Fulham in midweek. Newcastle, meanwhile, climb with their first clean sheet since August and head to Goodison Park to face Everton on Thursday night hoping to build on this response.
Also Read: The Football Hub Reaction: Man Utd in Crisis Again, Spurs Shock Chelsea and Sunderland Stay Bottom
Source: BBC Sport — read the full story there.