Newcastle United beat Crystal Palace 1-0 to win their sixth straight game at St James’ Park and climb to 40 points in the Premier League. Miguel Almiron scored his first club goal since February 2021.
Eddie Howe’s team moved up to 11th in the rankings after Almiron’s superb finish from Bruno Guimaraes’ lofted pass, all but ensuring the Magpies’ position in the top division next season.
In a one-sided first half, Guimaraes and Allan Saint-Maximin tested Vicente Guaita, before Joelinton sent a header bouncing over the crossbar not long after the break.
Palace came out stronger in the second half and came close to equalizing when Wilfried Zaha pulled Odsonne Edouard’s pass just wide of Martin Dubravka’s right-hand post.
In the penultimate minute of second-half stoppage time, Zaha curled a shot millimeters over the crossbar.
For the first time since the turn of the year, Patrick Vieira’s side has dropped to 14th place after suffering back-to-back league defeats.
The last time Newcastle United won six consecutive Premier League games at St James’ Park was in 2003-04, Sir Bobby Robson’s final full season in charge of the club.
After the game, Howe told Sky Sports, “It’s a tremendous night for the football club.” “Don’t forget how difficult it was to get us to this point. With immense satisfaction, we must look back.
“It’s easy to forget where we were and how far we’ve come this season. It’s been exciting to watch the team progress and improve.”
Magpies in top form continue to soar
Given Newcastle’s position when Howe took over in November – 19th in the table and five points from safety – earning 40 points with five games to spare is an incredible feat.
Many would refer to the Magpies’ £90 million January outlay as the primary reason for their rise up the table, but this is an oversimplification.
Due to injury, Howe has been without England fullback Kieran Trippier and 2020-21 top scorer Callum Wilson, while the talismanic Saint-Maximin has been frustratingly inconsistent since returning to fitness in March.
Others, notably former Lyon player Guimaraes, who was extensively involved in the game’s lone goal, have stepped up to the plate.
Watch Goal Below:
Almiron collected the Brazilian’s looping ball over the Palace defense in stride, darting into the penalty area from the right before sending a beautiful finish into the top corner – his first Newcastle United goal since scoring twice in a 3-2 win over Southampton more than 14 months ago.
The home team deservedly took the lead after dominating midfield in the first half and limiting Palace to only one poor Edouard effort before the break.
Palace improved after halftime and pinned the hosts back in the final minutes, but they rarely looked like leaving St James’ Park with a share of the spoils, except from Zaha’s two off-target efforts.
Seven of the Eagles’ 15 Premier League away games this season have ended in a goalless draw. Only Norwich (10) and Watford (9) have failed to score in more away games this season in the Premier League.
At full-time, Vieira, whose team lost to Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final on Sunday, struck a disgruntled figure, while Howe, his opposite number, could not hide his excitement after leading the Magpies to their ninth win in 13 league games.
As It Stands
| Team | P | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Man City | 32 | 55 | 77 |
| 2 | Liverpool | 32 | 61 | 76 |
| 3 | Chelsea | 31 | 39 | 62 |
| 4 | Tottenham | 32 | 18 | 57 |
| ————————- | ||||
| 5 | Arsenal | 32 | 10 | 57 |
| 6 | Man Utd | 33 | 4 | 54 |
| ————————- | ||||
| 7 | West Ham | 33 | 9 | 52 |
| ————————- | ||||
| 8 | Wolves | 32 | 5 | 49 |
| 9 | Leicester | 31 | -4 | 41 |
| 10 | Brighton | 33 | -11 | 40 |
| 11 | Newcastle | 33 | -18 | 40 |
| 12 | Brentford | 33 | -8 | 39 |
| 13 | Southampton | 32 | -14 | 39 |
| 14 | Crystal Palace | 32 | 2 | 37 |
| 15 | Aston Villa | 31 | -4 | 36 |
| 16 | Leeds | 32 | -30 | 33 |
| 17 | Everton | 31 | -19 | 29 |
| ————————- | ||||
| 18 | Burnley | 31 | -19 | 25 |
| 19 | Watford | 32 | -32 | 22 |
| 20 | Norwich | 32 | -44 | 21 |
