Crystal Palace 2-1 Newcastle: Jean-Philippe Mateta scores double off the bench to earn Eagles comeback win and heap pressure on Eddie Howe
Report and free match highlights as Jean-Philippe Mateta scores two off the bench to secure comeback win over Newcastle and pile misery on head coach Eddie Howe
Sunday 12 April 2026 20:07, UK
Jean-Philippe Mateta came off the bench to net a double, securing Crystal Palace a comeback 2-1 win over Newcastle and keep a cloud hanging over Eddie Howe.
Will Osula had scored a scrappy first-half goal to put Newcastle in front as Palace conceded at Selhurst Park for the first time in six games.
However, after scoring his first goal since New Year's Day on Thursday, Mateta headed in shortly after being introduced to level things up. Then in injury time, Mateta slotted home a penalty to complete the fightback.
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Defeat for Newcastle adds pressure on Howe and their inconsistent form in recent weeks, having failed to win six of their last nine, means their hopes of securing a spot in Europe next season are dwindling.
In losing their lead at Selhurst Park, Newcastle have now also dropped 25 points from winning positions in the league this season, five more than any other side.
It was a positive start for Newcastle who welcomed Lewis Miley and Sandro Tonali back into the starting line up as Howe made six changes to the side that lost to Sunderland at St James' Park before the international break. Palace, fresh off a dominant 3-0 win over Fiorentina in midweek, were kept at bay, failing to muster a single shot on target for 30 minutes.
When they did, however, Aaron Ramsdale was on top form, making a superb double save to keep both Yeremy Pino and Daniel Munoz out. As half-time beckoned, Miley's drilled ball into the box was met by an Osula slide to give Newcastle the advantage going into the break.
The second half belonged to Palace, but a lack of real quality forced Glasner's hand as he introduced Adam Wharton and Ismaila Sarr, along with Mateta, to remedy things. Jefferson Lerma hit the bar shortly after from a free-kick that Mateta won, signalling a change in intensity.
After a barrage of attacks, though, a fast break saw Daniel Munoz cross towards Tyrick Mitchell at the backpost. Mitchell's initial attempt was saved, but Mateta followed up with a header to beat Ramsdale.
Sven Botman then brought down Lerma, conceding an injury-time penalty that Mateta made no mistake in converting.
Palace leapfrog Newcastle into 13th place on goal difference. Having previously held dreams of Europe, Newcastle stay five points off seventh-place Brentford.
Ramsdale: It's the story of our season
Newcastle goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale to Sky Sports:
"It's probably the story of our season at the minute - getting into winning positions and not being able to hold onto the lead.
"It's something we can't put our finger on. We're trying our hardest to come up with something. On another day, we could have gone two or three goals up, but it wasn't to be.
"We've come away from a game we dominated and there wasn't much in the game to losing."
On whether Mateta's substitution had an impact: "It certainly had an impact, but I don't know if it changed the whole structure of the game.
"We were still on control, passing the ball around and creating chances.
"It's hard to say what happened straight off the back of it and without any chance to digest it without replays.
"It's a really disappointing afternoon after a good 85 minutes of the match."
On the European race: "I'm not sure if it's over but we want to win every single game and we're ready to fight for every game.
"But today we slipped up. We need to find a solution that when we're in the game, keeps us holding on to it and take all three points."
Glasner: It was a massive team win
Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner sent his compliments to his Eagles squad for securing their comeback victory over Newcastle.
"For me, it's been a massive performance today, not just regarding football, also psychologically.
"I just pass the congratulations forward to the players to the team. It was really a very tight first half, not many chances. Then one situation, they won it up straight before half-time.
"Then coming back against a team like Newcastle, giving them two shots in the entire second half. You know how difficult it is with all the pace they have, how quick they are in transitions. We needed to play forward and create chances. It was just really great to watch.
"For me today, and it was the same on Thursday, it's a massive team win, if you can say it like this. Again, a great impact from the bench. It was the plan to rotate a little bit, having fresh legs."
On Mateta being serenaded by fans at full-time: "That's what he deserves. To be honest, as soon as it was clear that he has to stay at Crystal Palace, he said, 'okay, I will work very, very hard to come back and to help the team win and to help us achieve all our goals'.
"This is what he showed. He's now getting back to his top fitness. I also think Jürgen worked very hard, although the Newcastle centre-backs looked fatigued at the end because they had to work very hard against him and against all the others. It's good to have him back."
Howe left disappointed after losing more points from winning positions
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe was "hugely disappointed" after his side took their tally of points lost from winning positions up to 25, five more than any other side in the Premier League.
"I mean, those numbers are incredible, really. It's blighted our season.
"The fact that we haven't been able to not just consolidate really good passages of the game, but go on and score more goals and continue to attack.
"I've said many times that's not the tactical instruction we give the players. We don't want to go 1-0 up and change to a mentality of defending, but we've done it, so I can't say it hasn't happened.
"But then if you are going to defend, we have to defend better than we did and we gave a few chances, but we're still vulnerable towards the end of the game and that's hugely disappointing.
"We were in total control of the game with 60 minutes to go. Then their substitutes made the difference, Mateta in particular. He proved to be a difficult customer for us to deal with.
"A defeat is really harsh on us because we controlled the first half and phases of the second half."
Analysis: Newcastle are quite literally throwing their season away
Had Newcastle not lost all of the points they have from losing positions, they would be second. If they had not lost just half of those points, they would be in fifth.
Eddie Howe called it a "blight" on their season, while Aaron Ramsdale suggested their 25 points dropped is the "story" of their campaign. No team has dropped more while ahead and Newcastle are clear out front by five points.
It's a problem that Howe says the more you think about it, the more it keeps happening. However, Newcastle must stop the rot. They've lost seven of their last 10 matches and Newcastle's season is spiralling and the pressure is ramping up on Howe.
The feeling that Howe's future could be contingent on Newcastle's European status or lack of going into next season is catching up with the Magpies boss. That feeling will grow given the fact that all the teams above them appear to be in the mix while Newcastle watch on.
There has been an air of sympathy for Howe within all this but that is turning to apathy with fans who travelled down to London didn't even wait to receive applause from the players.
Newcastle are on the beach but after tasting the riches of Champions League football and a first piece of silverware in decades, having their feet up, with flip flops on, is not where they want to be with six games to go.
William Bitibiri
