Newcastle Looks to Maintain Champions League Hopes Against Crystal Palace

NEWCASTLE, England — Newcastle United will host Crystal Palace at St James' Park on April 16, as the Magpies strive to solidify their Champions League ambitions. Following a resounding 4-1 victory over Manchester United, in which Harvey Barnes scored twice, Newcastle sits in fourth place, just one point ahead of Manchester City and Chelsea.

Eddie Howe‘s side aims to extend its winning streak to five matches against a struggling Crystal Palace, who currently occupy the 12th position. Palace is five points shy of the final European spot, making a win crucial for their chances. After a promising start in their previous match against Manchester City, where they led 2-0, Palace collapsed, eventually losing 5-2.

“Every match is pivotal for us now. We know what’s at stake and will prepare to battle hard,” said Palace’s manager Oliver Glasner.

Newcastle recently witnessed an impressive turnaround, winning 12 of their last 16 matches. Their performance on Sunday was especially notable, as they outscored their opponents 8-2 across four league wins. Yet, Howe will be absent from the touchline due to pneumonia, and his assistant Jason Tindall will take charge.

“We want to keep our momentum going. Every game counts, especially with our aspirations in the league,” Tindall said during a press briefing.

Anthony Gordon‘s potential return remains unclear; he looks to reclaim his starting position after being sidelined since March 2. In his absence, Harvey Barnes has emerged as a critical player, scoring three goals in the last two matches. The predicted starting lineup for Newcastle features a 4-2-3-1 formation, with key players such as Bruno Guimarães and Sandro Tonali in midfield.

On the other side, Crystal Palace aims to bounce back from their heavy loss against Manchester City. Despite this setback, the Eagles had shown resilience prior, gathering 13 points from 15 available in preceding matches. Marc Guéhi and Eddie Nketiah will return from suspension, boosting the squad’s morale ahead of this crucial match.

“We need to harness our away strengths, especially against a top side like Newcastle,” Guéhi stated.

The historical head-to-head reveals a competitive matchup: out of the 57 meetings, Newcastle has won 31, while Crystal Palace has claimed only 13 victories. Previous encounters at St James’ Park have not favored Crystal Palace; they have failed to score in their last four visits.

“St James’ Park is an intimidating place. We know the challenge, but our aim is to change the narrative,” Glasner concluded.

Newcastle’s expected lineup includes: Pope; Trippier, Schär, Burn, Livramento; Tonali, Guimarães; Murphy, Barnes, Isak. For Crystal Palace, the anticipated starting XI is: Henderson; Richards, Guéhi, Lacroix; Muñoz, Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell; Sarr, Eze, Mateta.

The match will kick off at 19:30 BST, with live coverage available on Sky Sports. As both teams chase their respective goals, this encounter promises to be thrilling, with significant implications for the Premier League standings.