Saturday 30th April 2016 Kickoff 1500hrs
Newcastle United v Crystal Palace
Football – Premier League – England
The stakes getting bigger and bigger each week for Newcastle United who are aiming to preserve their Premier League status with a late season rally. Their opponents this weekend are not only safe from any relegation fears of their own, but they’re also coming into this game on the back of securing an appearance in the FA Cup final next month. With only three games to go for Newcastle, this is virtually a must-win if they are to stand any chance of playing top-flight football next season.
It all looked so bleak for Newcastle at the beginning of April as they lurked in the bottom three and had just been beaten by Norwich – one of the other two teams who are threatened with relegation. Things got worse before they got better, too, as they were blown apart away to Southampton forcing even the staunchest of Toon Army supporters to begin preparing for life in the Championship. A week is a long time in football though, or so the saying goes, and having taken five points from their following three games they remain in with a fighting chance of survival. A first win under Rafael Benitez came at home to Swansea before taking a point against Manchester City at home and Liverpool away, respectively. Newcastle had to come from behind on both occasions to rescue draws in those matches, and the two-goal deficit they recovered at Anfield bodes well between now and the end of the season as it demonstrates a real hunger and desire amongst the players. That has not always been the case, of course, leading to huge frustration amongst their support. It may well be too little too late, but a win on Saturday, with Aston Villa to come next, would give them everything to play for, at least.
The season started so well for Alan Pardew and his Palace squad, so much so that there was even talk of a European position after they won at Stoke before Christmas. That was as good as it got for them, however, as the Eagles began a run of 14 league games without a win – form which switched talk of a potential European campaign next term to simply staying in the league. It’s unlikely that a goal has been cheered as loudly at Selhurst Park this season as that of Jason Puncheon’s which won all three points against Norwich earlier this month. Not only was it their first league win in 2016, but it virtually secured their Premier League status and allowed them to concentrate on the FA Cup – it was a win that would also have been cheered by everybody connected to Newcastle by bringing the Canaries closer to them. How Palace approach their final three games remains to be seen but Pardew may well see it as an opportunity to use his squad ahead of their Wembley showdown with Manchester United in four weeks time. The only danger with that, though, is that they do not really want to go into that game on the back of three defeats and confidence low.
It’s been well publicised that Benitez has a clause in his contract that allows him to walk away should Newcastle be relegated to the Championship which is far from ideal for the long-term future of the club, but focus will be solely on the next three games. Having started the season in charge of Real Madrid, it would have been long-odds to see him be involved in this battle for survival, and whilst it’s the first time he has experienced football at this end of the table, there’s no questioning his tactical expertise and knowledge of the game. There are definite signs that he is beginning to get the most out of this squad and with some much-needed confidence returning to the players, you would not put it past them on managing to sneak out of this. What makes it even more important is the fact they are competing with their arch-rivals Sunderland who are one point ahead – and have played a game less.
The 2-1 win over Watford last week was a massive result for Crystal Palace in a variety of ways. Not only does it guarantee them a first FA Cup final appearance since 1990 (ironically they faced United that time, too) but it’s also some sort of consolation for what has been a deplorable league run this calendar year. Despite only one league win since the turn of the year, Palace have been excellent in their cup exploits and this is a reward to their terrific supporters who have kept the faith all along. Pardew took an unusual step of inviting England’s Rugby Union coach, Eddie Jones, to speak to his players about the dangers of complacency this week, recognising that it is a big concern in the final weeks of the season where they face Stoke and Southampton after this weekend.
Newcastle United v Crystal Palace Betting Tips
Having played one more game than both Norwich and Sunderland, and trailing those teams by a point, there is no margin of error for Newcastle on Saturday. It may be unlikely that they can secure all nine points in these final three games but it’s imperative that they start by getting a crucial win at home to a team who have very little to play for. In their favour, it’s now just one defeat in their last seven games at St James’ Park and that should give them confidence going into this game. Palace are a stubborn team, however, and will be able to play with a sense of freedom so any result Newcastle get will have to be well earned.
This is one of those games you get at the end of the season when the circumstances of the game, and what both teams have to play for, is factored into the bookmaker’ price. I am certain that if this particular fixture was played a month or so ago then we would not be seeing the hosts as odds-on in many places. Usually, in this instance, I would be trying to find an angle to go against Newcastle because they’re something of a false price but when you consider how poor Palace have been in the league this year, it’s difficult to have any faith in them, especially on the back of their euphoric win last week and when the intensity of their play may be somewhat reduced. With that in mind, the selection is for Newcastle to grab what could be a vital three points and extend their recent good run.
Newcastle 21/20 @ Betvictor
