Newcastle United vs Crystal Palace; Premier League
Newcastle United vs Crystal Palace. Premier League.
St James' Park, NewcastleAttendance45,453.
Newcastle vs Crystal Palace preview
Watch match highlights at 5.15pm on Saturday on skysports.com and the Sky Sports app
Monday 30 December 2019 12:01, UK
Team news, stats and prediction ahead of Newcastle vs Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday.
Team news
Steve Bruce will welcome Miguel Almiron back into the Newcastle fold. The Paraguay international missed last weekend's 1-0 defeat at Burnley with a tight hamstring.
Jonjo Shelvey could also return to the squad after missing the Turf Moor defeat with a calf strain.
Patrick van Aanholt has resumed training and could feature for Crystal Palace but Scott Dann faces a scan after picking up an injury in training on Friday morning.
Mamadou Sakho will serve the last of his three-match ban for a red card against Bournemouth, while Joel Ward (knee) and Jeffrey Schlupp (muscle) will miss out again.
How to follow
Follow the action with our dedicated live blog. Highlights of the game will be published at 5.15pm on Saturday on the Sky Sports website and app plus the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel.
Opta stats
- Newcastle lost this exact fixture 0-1 in April but have never lost consecutive home league games against Crystal Palace.
- The last five Premier League meetings between Newcastle and Crystal Palace have produced just five goals (3 for Newcastle, 2 for Crystal Palace), with no side scoring more than once in that time. Indeed, the match that immediately preceded this run saw more goals scored (Crystal Palace 5-1 Newcastle, November 2015).
- Newcastle United are unbeaten in their last seven home Premier League matches (W3 D4), last enjoying a longer unbeaten run at St James' Park back in April 2012 (nine unbeaten).
- Newcastle lost their last Premier League game against Burnley - they haven't lost consecutive league matches since their opening two games of the season (vs Arsenal and Norwich).
- London clubs have won six of their last seven Premier League away games against Newcastle (D1), keeping a clean sheet in each of the last four. This comes after a run that saw sides from the capital lose seven of eight visits to St James' Park in the competition (W1).
- Crystal Palace have scored a league-high ratio 73% of their Premier League goals in the second half of games this season (11/15). The Eagles are the only side yet to score in the opening 15 minutes of games this season, with their earliest strike coming in the 21st minute.
- Crystal Palace's Premier League games have seen just 34 goals this season (F15 A19), fewer than any other side in the competition. Just one of the Eagles' 17 games has seen a side score more than twice (0-4 vs Tottenham).
- Seven of Jordan Ayew's first nine shots in the Premier League this season were on target, with two of those finding the net. Since then the Ghanaian striker has had 17 shots, but just two have been on target (both scored).
- Newcastle boss Steve Bruce enjoyed his joint-biggest ever margin of victory as a manager in a match against Crystal Palace, beating the Eagles 7-1 with Huddersfield in August 1999.
- Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson has faced Steve Bruce more often without losing than he has any other manager in the Premier League (7 - W3 D4). This is the first meeting between the two managers since Hodgson's West Brom drew 2-2 at Bruce's Sunderland in October 2011.
Charlie's prediction
Palace had to face a resurgent Brighton team, but they did not make it into a derby match and got dominated - they never really got going.
Newcastle had a setback last week. Jonjo Shelvey has earned his right to play, but he is touch and go, as is Miguel Almiron. They do not need Almiron because he does not score, but they need his pace and movement as Allan Saint-Maximin is out with injury.
Newcastle are there to survive in the Premier League, and they are four or five wins from doing it already, which is a testament to the results they have earned this campaign. Steve Bruce has done a remarkable job, but it is about trying to hold a unit together, and I think he will do that again this weekend.
CHARLIE PREDICTS: 2-1 (9/1 with Sky Bet)
