Crystal Palace 1-1 Newcastle United (Munoz 90+4 | Guehi 53’ og)
SELHURST PARK — It was very nearly an ugly win, but leading 1-0 after zero shots on target going into second-half injury time, Newcastle succumbed to what did not exactly feel inevitable.
Crystal Palace huffed and puffed, and it felt as though the woes of the league’s most inefficient side would go on, only for Daniel Munoz to pop up late on with a header that made amends for his earlier miss.
It was a sucker-punch for Newcastle, who led thanks to Marc Guehi’s own goal, and six days on from their home defeat to West Ham, this had laid bare the issues Eddie Howe will somehow look to address before they host Liverpool on Wednesday – namely their creativity problems, and quite where their captain should actually play.
“It’s a strange performance from us,” Howe said. “Nothing in the final third. A lot of set-plays, opportunities to get a head on something, but we look a little low on confidence. We were without a recognised striker [after losing Isak], we were just lacking a cutting edge.”
Asked about why scoring has become an issue, he added: “It’s a difficult one to answer but we haven’t changed our attacking philosophy. It’s difficult to give a clear and direct answer, but one we’re aware of. I’ve got no issue with the quality of players we have.”
It was not an exhilarating affair, although that was perhaps no surprise given this was a match between two clubs among the lowest scorers in the league.
The first half proved a frustrating stop-start affair, with mainly Newcastle knocks disrupting the flow of a game that was struggling to flicker into life.
Early on, Bruno Guimaraes was gesturing and talking with Alexander Isak, urging more movement from his striker, while Anthony Gordon – starting on the right – could have set Tino Livramento free but didn’t see the pass that looked obvious from the stands (easy for us to say, etc).
Once Isak went down for a second time it looked to be game over for the Swede, and so by the third time he lay on the turf – just moments after Joelinton had picked himself up – it led to a forced change for Eddie Howe.
On came Harvey Barnes for Isak in the 22nd minute, which moved Gordon to centre forward, and initially it appeared as though Barnes would enjoy his time searching for space between Tyrick Mitchell and Marc Guehi.
Just two minutes after coming on, Barnes left Mitchell trailing before flashing a low cross past everyone, but that promising start from the Newcastle winger with a point to prove was followed by a bright spell for Palace, with Nick Pope saving superbly from Ismaila Sarr before Munoz missed the target when it seemed easier to score.
Munoz is yet to score for Palace, and that showed, the right-footed right-back the last player the hosts would have expected and wanted to be by the left post attempting a left-footed shot once Sarr’s perfectly-weighted low cross rolled invitingly into his path.
The foundation of Palace’s purple patch was arguably Will Hughes and Jefferson Lerma winning the midfield battle, the industrious pair teaching Newcastle’s midfielders a thing or two – with Lerma in particular sticking to Guimaraes like glue and breaking up numerous attacks.
Guimaraes was playing No 8 for the first time in the league this season, a shift up from No 6 with Sandro Tonali dropping back. The pair were starting together for the first time in five matches, and on the first half’s showing, it was very much the case of an experiment still in its infancy when, given it is late November, Newcastle fans would rather have hoped the time for such trials were over.
All this while Joe Willock was a relative passenger of the first half, and having shown glimpses of his best earlier this month, there was a requirement – for Newcastle to have any hope of troubling Palace consistently – that he raised his game along with his midfield mates.
For proof of Newcastle’s lack of creativity, the half ended with just the one shot blocked despite the fact they had more possession, and given Barnes had already come on, it was not clear what move Howe would make next.
At least the 10-year-old Newcastle fan – who in broad Geordie declared Joelinton his favourite player – buried his penalty at half-time, while just yards away Callum Wilson stayed warm perhaps smarting from the fact Barnes had been subbed on over him.
After the break, there was more endeavour from the travelling pack, and while Willock and Joelinton at times traded places on the left it was down the right where Newcastle were getting joy.
That’s where they found the breakthrough, too, albeit from a set-piece, masterfully played out as Lewis Hall played it to Tonali, who then fed Gordon – his cross ricocheting off Marc Guehi for an own goal from a player who almost joined Newcastle in the summer.
That a training-ground routine paid off was a blessing for a Newcastle side who had otherwise been struggling to cut through, and the one-goal led to them sitting back instead of go searching for a second.
There were also signs of Guimaraes’ personal frustrations boiling over, a needless foul before the hour-mark putting his team under pressure, while it was then another out-stretched hand in apology when a pass intended for Willock was overhit.
Soon after, Pope was on hand to deny Sarr again before Dan Burn brilliantly blocked Munoz’s goal-bound effort, and as another decent Palace spell raised the noise levels around Selhurst Park, Burn could be seen calling for calm moments before he headed a corner away.
Willock’s yellow for a rash foul on Hughes was another indication the tide was turning, with Lerma then watching his attempt from distance deflect wide.
Guehi then headed over from a corner in the 70th minute, which happened to be Palace’s 10th shot of the match, and after Sarr saw their 11th saved and Mateta fired their 12th over, it was further proof that the tale of the Eagles’ season so far is what truly dictated this game.
Palace boasted the worst goals per shot ratio in the Premier League heading into this match, 0.05, a rate that was worsening with each shot which failed to ripple the net, but just when it appeared Newcastle looked to be thanking their lucky stars, fortune finally changed for Palace – and Munoz – with their 15th shot of the match.
His header broke Newcastle hearts, making the long journey back a little more awkward for Howe.
He will have to consider quite where this creative spark is going to come from, and whether the trio of Tonali, Willock and Guimaraes works – in truth, it didn’t, and nor did Joelinton on the left – and against Liverpool it may not get much better. They’ll need St James’ Park at its best to trouble the league leaders in midweek, and where Guimaraes starts is back to being anyone’s guess.
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