Jean-Philippe Mateta came off the bench to score a double as Crystal Palace came from behind to beat Newcastle 2-1, leaving Eddie Howe in doubt.
Will Osla put Newcastle ahead with a poor first-half goal as Palace conceded for the first time in six games at Selhurst Park.
But after scoring his first goal since New Year’s Day on Thursday, Mateta equalized with a header shortly after coming on. Mateta then scored a penalty in stoppage time to complete the fightback.
The Newcastle defeat has put added pressure on Howe, whose form has been inconsistent in recent weeks and his hopes of qualifying for Europe next season are fading after failing to win six of his last nine games.
Newcastle, who lost the lead at Selhurst Park, have dropped 25 points from winning the league this season, five more than any other team.
It was a positive start for Newcastle as Howe made six changes to the team that lost to Sunderland at St James’s Park before the international break, with Lewis Miley and Sandro Tonali returning to the starting XI. Palace, who had just beaten Fiorentina 3-0 in midweek, were kept at bay for 30 minutes without a single shot on target.
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Newcastle keeper Aaron Ramsdale makes a double save
However, Aaron Ramsdale was in top form that time, making a spectacular double save to deny both Elemy Pino and Daniel Muñoz. As half-time began, Miley’s drilled ball into the box met Osla’s sliding and Newcastle went into the break with the advantage.
Palace took control in the second half, but a lack of real quality meant that manager Glasner, who introduced Adam Wharton, Ismaila Sarr and Mateta, needed to improve the situation. Immediately after the free kick won by Mateta, Jefferson Lerma hit the bar, showing a change in intensity.
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Jean-Philippe Mateta converted the penalty to make it 2-1 for Crystal Palace.
However, after a barrage of attacks, Daniel Muñoz quickly crossed towards Tyrick Mitchell at the back post. Mitchell’s first shot was saved, but Mateta converted a header to beat Ramsdale.
Sven Botman then brought down Lerma and awarded a penalty in stoppage time, which Mateta made no mistake.
Palace moved Newcastle into 13th place on goal difference. Newcastle, who have long had dreams of going to Europe, remain five points behind seventh-placed Brentford.
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Jean-Philippe Mateta awards Best Player award to Tyrick Mitchell
Ramsdale: This is the story of our season.
Newcastle goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale told Sky Sports:
“Maybe that’s the story of our season at the moment – getting into a winning position and not being able to maintain the lead.
“That’s something we can’t say. We’re trying our best to figure something out. On another day, we could have been two or three goals higher, but we didn’t.”
“We came out of a dominant game and didn’t have much to lose in the game.”
As for whether Mateta’s substitution had an impact, he said: “It certainly had an impact, but I don’t know if it changed the whole structure of the game.
“We were still in control, passing the ball around and creating chances.
“It’s hard to say directly what happened and without replay we don’t have a chance to understand it.
“It was a really disappointing afternoon after 85 minutes of play.”
On the race in Europe: “I don’t know if it’s over or not, but we want to win every game and we’re ready to fight every game.
“But today we failed. We need to find solutions during the game that allow us to be persistent and get all three points.”
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Mateta equalizes for Crystal Palace
Glasner: It was a big team win.
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner praised his Eagles team for their come-from-behind victory over Newcastle.
“For me, today was a great performance, not only football-wise, but also psychologically.
“I just have to congratulate the players and congratulate the team. The first half was really, really tight and we didn’t have a lot of chances. Then in one situation they won in a stretch before half-time.”
“Then we played against a team like Newcastle and had two shots in the whole second half. You know how difficult it is with their pace and how fast they transition. We had to play forward and create chances. It was really great to watch.”
“It was the same for me today and it was the same on Thursday. Let’s put it this way: It’s a big win for the team. Again, a big impact off the bench. The plan was to have fresh legs and rotate a little bit.”
On Mateta being serenaded by the fans at full-time: “That’s what he deserves. To be honest, as soon as it became clear that he had to stay at Crystal Palace, he said: ‘Okay, I’m going to work very hard to come back and help the team win and help us achieve all our goals.’
“That’s what he showed. He’s getting back to his best fitness now. I also think Jurgen worked really hard, but Newcastle’s centre-backs looked tired at the end because they had to work very hard on Jurgen and on the other players. It’s good to have him back.”
Howe was disappointed to lose another point from a winning position.
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Eddie Howe reflects on Newcastle’s defeat to Crystal Palace
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said he was “hugely disappointed” after Newcastle conceded a maximum of 25 points, five points more than any other team in the Premier League.
“I mean, these numbers are just incredible. Our season has been ruined.
“The fact that we’ve not only solidified a really good flow in the game, but also been able to score more goals and continue attacking.
“I’ve said it many times, but it’s not a tactical instruction that we give to our players. We don’t want to lead 1-0 and turn into a defensive mentality, but that’s what we’ve done, so you can’t say it didn’t happen.”
“But if we are going to defend, we have to defend more than ever and although we gave some chances, we were still vulnerable towards the end of the game and that is very disappointing.
“We had complete control of the game with 60 minutes left. After that, the substitutes, especially Mateta, made a difference. He turned out to be a difficult customer for us.”
“The loss was really tough for us because we controlled the first half and second half.”
Analysis: Newcastle are literally ruining their season
Had Newcastle not fallen down the table and lost all their points, they would have finished second. If they hadn’t lost half of those points they would have finished fifth.
Eddie Howe called this a “disaster” of the season, and Aaron Ramsdale suggested that the 25 point drop was the “story” of their campaign. No team has dropped more places while in the lead, with Newcastle leading the table with a five-point lead.
The more you think about it, Howe says, the more it’s a problem that keeps happening. But Newcastle must stop the rot. Newcastle’s season has gone into a downward spiral, having lost seven of their last 10 games, and the pressure is mounting on Howe.
The feeling that Howe’s future may depend on Newcastle’s standing in Europe or whether he misses next season is starting to catch up with the Magpies manager. That feeling will only increase given the fact that all the top teams appear to be on board, with Newcastle watching.
There was some sympathy towards Howe in this situation, but the fans who traveled to London did not even wait for the players to applaud, and they are starting to show apathy towards Howe.
Newcastle are standing on the beach, but after tasting the riches of Champions League football and their first silverware in decades, flip-flopping and feet up is not where they want to be with six games left.
William Bitibili
