Crystal Palace head to St James’ Park on Sunday for a 3pm GMT Premier League kick off, and it already feels like a proper test of how much fight we have left in the tank. With Oliver Glasner openly talking about fatigue and the injury situation, the details in specific areas of the pitch seemingly matter more than ever.
Before we get into the individual match ups, the numbers set the tone. Palace come into this one with 27 points from 19 league games, 22 goals scored and 21 conceded. Newcastle have 26 points, 26 scored and 24 conceded. It is tight, and that usually means the game swings on three or four sequences, not constant dominance.
| Battle | Pitch zone | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Muñoz and Sarr vs Gordon and Hall | Right flank and half space | If we win the wide duels, we can turn defence into direct attacks quickly |
| Wharton and Lerma vs Guimarães and Tonali | Central midfield | Whoever controls second balls and tempo will control territory |
| Mateta vs Schär, Botman and set piece marking | Penalty area | One clean delivery can decide it, especially with tired legs |
1) Clyne vs Newcastle’s left-side runners (and protecting the space behind)
With Muñoz out, the right side becomes more about game management than constant overlap. Clyne can do the defensive basics, but the trade-off is that it can reduce our natural attacking thrust down that flank, which is something that has been noted when he has deputised there.
So the battle shifts slightly:
- Defensive priority: stop Newcastle’s left-sided threat from turning our right wing-back channel into a runway. If Clyne gets dragged too high, the space behind him is exactly where Newcastle want to break.
- Palace attacking priority: create progression without relying on the wing-back as the main outlet. That means one of the right-sided centre-backs stepping in with the ball, or our right-sided forward pinning their full-back so we can play into the half space instead of only going around the outside.
In practical terms, if Clyne can keep Newcastle’s wide player facing their own goal and force them inside towards our midfield screen, Palace give themselves a chance to stay compact, nick turnovers, and turn the match into moments rather than waves.
Clyne did manage to cut in to put a lovely cross to JP’s head in midweek, but you can’t rely on Devenney being the cover, so Clyne needs to not drift up too high or we’ll get exposed on that side BADLY.
2) Wharton and Lerma vs Guimarães and Tonali in the middle
This is the battle that decides whether we spend the afternoon defending our own box or pushing the game into Newcastle’s half. Adam Wharton and Jefferson Lerma are in the registered squad, but they will need help because Newcastle can roll waves of midfield pressure through Bruno Guimarães and Sandro Tonali.
Newcastle’s recent pattern also hints at what is coming. Even in defeat at Manchester United, they dominated the ball with 66.7 percent possession and took 16 shots. That does not automatically mean they will carve us open, but it does mean our clearances and second balls have to land in the right areas, not straight back at them.
3) Mateta vs Newcastle’s centre backs, plus the first contact on set pieces
Jean-Philippe Mateta is still our reference point. He is on eight league goals, and Glasner has basically said we need his output to keep ticking. Newcastle’s squad list includes Fabian Schär and Sven Botman, and they are exactly the type of defenders who want an aerial, physical game.
So the battle is simple. Can Mateta win first contact enough times to either shoot or bring runners into play, and can we attack corners and wide free kicks with real intent? In a fixture that is going to be massively shaped by fatigue, one delivery can feel like two chances.
Palace fans will travel in hope, but also realism. Glasner has said nobody is expected back for this one, and we already know Chris Richards and Eddie Nketiah’s injuries have been issues to manage. That is why these three zones matter so much. If we can win the right flank duel, compete properly in midfield, and be ruthless when the ball lands in the box, we give ourselves a proper shot at taking something home.
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