Twelfth place Crystal Palace host second from bottom Newcastle on Saturday at Selhurst Park. Crystal Palace go into the match coming off of a 1-0 win against Huddersfield. Newcastle, on the other hand, are winless this term.
The Magpies have lost three straight matches and Rafael Benitez is struggling to pick up points, but a trip to Selhurst Park is just what the manager needs.
Newcastle have had one of the most difficult – if not the most difficult – schedules to open the season. They have already played Tottenham, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Arsenal. Each fixture ended in a loss, which is why Newcastle have just one point going into the weekend.
Newcastle got a draw away to Cardiff in week 2 of the Premier League season. While they may not be up to the level of competition of the top tier teams in the league, Newcastle can certainly hang with the sides in midtable or lower.
The two clubs have met six times in all competitions since 2014. Newcastle have won three of those meetings while Crystal Palace have managed just one win. Two matches have ended in draws. Last season, the clubs played out a 1-1 draw at Selhurst Park thanks to goals from Mohamed Diame and Luka Milivojevic. Newcastle's long-term record against Crystal Palace has been phenomenal. The Magpies are undefeated in 13 of 14 matches in all competitions.
Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson has four players out injured. Christian Benteke, Scott Dann, Pape Souare, and Connor Wickham will all miss Saturday’s game. Three of the four are not expected back until October. While there isn’t an injury crisis at Selhurst Park, the lack of options will hurt Hodgson’s chances of winning.
Newcastle manager Benitez has injury headaches to worry about as well. Midfielder Jonjo Shelvey and defender Jamaal Lascelles are expected to miss the game through injury. Shelvey will be a big miss as the midfielder can unlock Crystal Palace’s defence, something Newcastle has been unable to do this season. Newcastle have scored just four goals with two of them being scored by defenders.
Home hasn’t been where the heart is for Crystal Palace this season. The Eagles have lost both home matches allowing two goals in each. Newcastle have picked up one point from six possible away from St. James’ Park.
The team scored just one goal in their two away fixtures. However, Newcastle’s season starts this weekend after a run of difficult matches. Benitez will manage his team to a win at Selhurst Park and begin moving the club away from danger.