Crystal Palace welcome Newcastle United to Selhurst Park in this weekend’s dose of Friday Night Football from the Premier League.
Victory could see Palace climb to seventh although sixth is possible if can defeat Newcastle by five goals or more, whilst the Magpies can go tenth with a win.
Team News
Luka Milivojevic is set to return for Palace in midfield after completing self-isolation following a positive Coronavirus test during the international break.
James Tomkins (thigh) could also feature but Wilfried Zaha is a doubt after missing Monday’s defeat at Burnley following a positive Coronavirus test.
Conor Wickham, Wayne Hennessey (both unspecified) and Nathan Ferguson (knee) remain sidelined.
Newcastle could have Jamaal Lascelles available for selection after the English defender was substituted during last weekend’s loss to Chelsea with a thigh injury.
Matt Ritchie (shoulder) and Callum Wilson (hamstring) are also expected to feature but Martin Dubravka (heel), Dwight Gayle (knee) and Ryan Fraser (hamstring) are unlikely to be risked at Selhurst Park.
Paul Dummett remains absent indefinitely with a hamstring injury.
Stat Attack
- Palace have lost just one of their last five meetings against Newcastle (W2, D2, L1).
- Newcastle are winless in their last five trips to Selhurst Park (D3, L2).
- In 18 previous Premier League meetings between Palace and Newcastle, there has been a total of four penalty kicks given with Palace missing one of their three attempts whilst Newcastle have scored from their only spot kick.
- No Newcastle player has made more substitute league appearances this season than Andy Carroll, with the striker coming on from the bench five times.
- Andros Townsend is the only Palace player to have made more than one through ball this season with two through balls played for teammates in nine appearances this season.
Prediction
Palace will be hoping that Zaha is available because without him on Monday, they just seemed to lack something in what was a scrappy encounter at Burnley and Cheikhou Kouyate’s error ultimately proved costly in what otherwise was a decent performance without their key player.
Newcastle meanwhile just seem to lack any real finishing quality at present nor robust defending at the minute but they did slowly grow into their match against Chelsea, yet it was a lack of real sharpness in their finishing which cost them and that has to change if they want to seriously challenge further up the table.
I therefore am expecting another scrappy contest from Palace’s perspective here but unless Newcastle can show signs of improvement, I can see a home win here.
Prediction: Crystal Palace 2-0 Newcastle United
Result: Crystal Palace 0-2 Newcastle United