Crystal Palace 0-2 Newcastle: Osula & Barnes Fire Magpies to Crucial Away Win

Newcastle United produced a clinical second-half display to claim a 2-0 victory at Selhurst Park on Sunday, heaping fresh pressure on Crystal Palace head coach Pierre Sage while giving their own under-pressure manager Matthias Jaissle a much-needed boost.

After a cagey and largely forgettable first half in which neither side truly threatened, the Magpies exploded into life immediately after the restart. Barely a minute into the second period, Jacob Murphy delivered a dangerous outswinging cross from the right and Will Osula was perfectly placed at the near post to turn the ball home, giving the visitors the lead with their first real effort on goal.

The home side were still reeling when Joe Willock thought he had doubled the advantage five minutes later, racing onto a superb through ball from Joelinton and slotting past the goalkeeper. VAR intervened, however, ruling the midfielder narrowly offside. Palace failed to capitalise on the reprieve. Just before the hour mark Newcastle struck again: Amar Dedić’s first-time square pass found Harvey Barnes inside the box, and the winger hammered a first-time finish into the net for his second league goal of the season.

From that point the contest was effectively over. Murmurs of discontent began to spread among the home supporters as Palace offered little in response. Substitute Dario Osorio forced Lukas Hornicek into a sharp save with a long-range effort, but the Newcastle goalkeeper was otherwise largely untroubled as his side protected a rare clean sheet – their first since August.

The result lifts Newcastle into seventh place and ends a run of three defeats in four Premier League matches. For Palace, who had been thrashed 5-0 by Brighton the previous weekend, it was another damaging afternoon. They have now conceded a league-high 19 goals and sit just one place and one point above the relegation zone after a fifth league defeat of the campaign. Sage’s position continues to look increasingly precarious.