Newcastle United delivered a masterclass in attacking football at St James’ Park, dismantling Crystal Palace 5-0 in a display that underscored their Champions League ambitions – and all without their sidelined head coach Eddie Howe.
Despite Howe’s continued recovery from pneumonia, his side didn’t miss a beat. With assistant Jason Tindall overseeing touchline duties, the Magpies looked fearless, fluid, and ferociously effective. Goals from Jacob Murphy, Harvey Barnes, Fabian Schär and Alexander Isak – alongside a Marc Guehi own goal – powered Newcastle into third place in the Premier League, with a trip to Aston Villa looming.
Keeping faith with the same starting XI for the sixth game running, Newcastle burst out of the blocks. Early warning shots came via Bruno Guimarães and Murphy, with Dean Henderson called into action to prevent an opener. Isak went close with a header moments later, as Kieran Trippier and Sandro Tonali dictated play from deep with sublime passing range.
The breakthrough arrived in the 14th minute – and it was no less than the hosts deserved. Trippier found Murphy, who rifled a rising drive beyond Henderson at the near post to open the floodgates.
Palace threatened briefly, with Will Hughes and Jean-Philippe Mateta trying to mount a response, but they struggled to keep possession or create anything of substance. When a lifeline arrived in the form of a penalty after Nick Pope was adjudged to have fouled Chris Richards, Eberechi Eze’s tame effort was easily smothered by Pope.
Newcastle’s response? Ruthless. Within seconds, Barnes broke down the left, delivered a cross, and saw it turned in by the unfortunate Guehi. That quick double blow crushed Palace’s spirit.
Before the interval, the scoreline ballooned. Barnes netted a third after a slick Tonali reverse ball opened the Palace defence, before Schär made it four with a deft glancing header from another Murphy delivery. Newcastle’s dominance was complete, and the Geordie faithful revelled in a performance full of swagger and precision.
The second half saw no let-up. Isak, who had been a constant threat, finally got his reward with a calm, curling finish after Joelinton’s tenacious pressing forced an error. Even then, there could have been more, but Newcastle were content to manage the game, preserving energy and avoiding unnecessary bookings.
With the final whistle came confirmation of a statement win. Newcastle are now just four points behind second-placed Arsenal and firmly in control of their top-four destiny. For a team missing their manager on the sidelines, they’ve shown that unity, clarity of purpose, and clinical quality can carry them through. If anything, the Magpies seem to be soaring higher than ever.
