Full Time: Newcastle United 1-0 Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace couldn’t quite build on their shock win over Chelsea last weekend, as they stumbled to a narrow 1-0 loss at the hands of Newcastle United. The Magpies were off to a shaky start but they pushed through, and finally a late strike from substitute Mikel Merino sealed the deal for the club.
Although the visitors fell short, they do look stronger under Roy Hodgson. However, we need to give credit where it’s due and Newcastle certainly seemed like the better team as the match inched closer to the final whistle. With this victory, Rafa Benitez’s men move up to 6th spot in the Premier League standings.
Let’s take a look at how Newcastle United players fared against Crystal Palace:
Newcastle United Player Ratings
Rob Elliot – 7/10
The goalkeeper made a couple of crucial saves in the first-half but did not have much work to do after the break. He will be happy to have maintained a clean sheet though.
DeAndre Yedlin – 6/10
Yedlin was struggling initially to keep Townsend and Zaha at bay but then he was more involved in the second half. He also provided support while going forward.
Jamaal Lascelles – 8.5/10
The captain was solid overall. Be it making crucial blocks or tackles, Lascelles was an important player for Newcastle United.
Florian Lejeune – 6/10
Lejeune was shoddy in the first-half and rather wasteful at times. He did pull himself together later but it was not close to his best.
Javier Manquillo – 6/10
Manquillo was another player who put up a less-than average performance. In fact, he hardly looks like his former self when compared to the way he played last season.
Isaac Hayden – 7.5/10
The midfielder provided nice pace for Newcastle and also made a few important tackles.
Jonjo Shelvey – 7/10
Although Shelvey started off on a strong note, his influence dwindled as minutes ticked by. However, his passing was quite effective.
Matt Ritchie – 6/10
Ritchie seemed to be struggling against Palace’s resilient defenders and was kept quiet for much of the match.
Ayoze Perez – 5/10
Perez was invisible throughout the match. He made no impact whatsoever and gave the ball away cheaply far too many times.
Christian Atsu – 8.5/10
Atsu was by far the most important player for Newcastle United. His attacking play was crucial in an otherwise blunt display from his teammates up front.
Joselu – 6.5/10
The striker has been receiving flak for his performances and he was certainly not that great against Palace either. He did contribute a bit when the attack was in place but he has had better days.
Subs:
Mikel Merino – 9/10
Merino brought in a fresh sense of energy to Newcastle’s seemingly stagnant attack.
Mohamed Diame – 7/10
The player added a nice dimension to the Magpies’ drive in the final third.
Aleksandar Mitrovic – N/A
Came on for Joselu in the 78th minute.
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