Newcastle United kicked off 2026 with a victory over Crystal Palace at St James’ Park, thanks to second-half strikes from Bruno Guimaraes and Malick Thiaw.
The afternoon saw Eddie Howe make just one alteration to the side that beat Burnley on Tuesday night, with Harvey Barnes dropping out for Jacob Murphy.
The Magpies thought they had broken the deadlock twice before the interval, only for both efforts to be ruled out for offside – one following a VAR check and the other flagged by the assistant referee. As a result, the teams went in level at the break despite Newcastle’s pressure.
The contest remained finely balanced, though the home side edged matters and eventually got their reward when Guimaraes powered home his seventh goal of the campaign. The Newcastle skipper met a cut-back from Lewis Miley, directing his header beyond Dean Henderson and into the Gallowgate End.
Guimaraes then turned creator, delivering the corner that Thiaw converted from close range to score his second goal in a Newcastle shirt. Those quickfire goals drained any momentum Palace had built, allowing the hosts to see out the closing stages comfortably and secure all three points.
Oliver Glasner criticises ‘not acceptable’ Crystal Palace:
The win lifted Newcastle into the top half of the Premier League standings and ensured they opened the new year with a much-needed success. While they were not at their most inventive, they once again leaned heavily on set-pieces to get the better of their opponents.
Those goals from dead-ball situations infuriated Oliver Glasner, who branded them ‘not acceptable’ after the final whistle: “It was a good performance but in the last four defeats we lost three just from set pieces. It’s not acceptable and I have to find solutions to support the players better.
“We can’t afford to give so many goals away from set pieces. it’s the reason we lost today. I was pleased with how we moved the ball and defended.”
He added: “We need to look at where we can improve. In second phases it’s just too much. We need to do better.”
Eddie Howe issues Newcastle United v Crystal Palace verdict:
While Glasner’s side return to London empty-handed and frustrated by missed chances at St James’ Park, Howe’s men can look ahead with optimism to a run of three straight home fixtures. That sequence begins on Wednesday night when Leeds United visit Tyneside.
Two victories from their games either side of the new year was the baseline target, and Howe is aware his squad must capitalise on this momentum with a demanding month ahead.
“It was a tough game, it always is against Palace.
“Oliver has done an amazing job. We had to be patient. It was a bitty at times. I think the substitutions made a difference and helped us over the line.
“It’s a better position but we’ve got more work to do. We’ve got a massive month ahead.
“We need to build some momentum and confidence and today is a big step forward.”