Crystal Palace host Newcastle United at Selhurst Park on Sunday afternoon needing a Premier League victory to stabilise their season. Pierre Sage’s side sit 14th in the table with just seven points from their opening seven matches, having conceded 17 goals already.
Their defensive fragility was evident again in a 2-2 Europa League draw with Beşiktaş on Thursday, extending their winless run to three games across all competitions. At home, however, the story is brighter with two consecutive wins, including a 3-1 victory over Nottingham Forest earlier this month. The Eagles have scored in their last five matches at Selhurst Park.
Newcastle arrive in south London in a similar predicament, sitting 11th with eight points and on a run of two straight defeats. They have also conceded in four consecutive matches. Manager Matthias Jaissle, appointed after Newcastle paid Al-Ahli £9.5m in compensation, is still seeking consistency with his ‘vertical football’ philosophy.
Team news and absences
Crystal Palace will be without several key defenders. Chadi Riad, Dean Henderson, Quinten Timber and Takehiro Tomiyasu are all ruled out, while Larsen is questionable. Axel Disasi is suspended, further depleting the backline. This likely means starts for Chris Richards and Jaydee Canvot in central defence.
In attack, Tyrick Mitchell and Daichi Kamada are expected to provide the creative spark for Jean-Philippe Mateta, who scored against Beşiktaş. The full squad list shows the depth challenges Sage faces.
Newcastle have their own injury concerns, with Jacob Ramsey, Valentino Livramento, Ewen Jaouen and Anthony Elanga all unavailable. Their last starting XI featured Lukas Hornicek in goal and a midfield anchored by Joelinton and Nico González.
Historical context and outlook
The historical record favours Newcastle, who have won 31 of the 58 meetings between the sides. At Selhurst Park, the Magpies have ten wins to Palace’s nine in 26 encounters. The Eagles, however, won the most recent clash 2-1 back in April.
With both teams struggling for clean sheets, goals appear likely. Palace’s home form offers a glimmer of hope as they look to close the one-point gap to their visitors in the standings. The fixture is a key one for Sage, whose team has let in five or more goals twice this season. “Conceding 17 goals in seven Premier League matches is not exactly the start Pierre Sage or Crystal Palace’s hierarchy would have hoped for,” one analyst noted.
Kick-off at Selhurst Park is at 14:00 on Sunday, 25 October.
