Jean-Philippe Mateta scored twice as Crystal Palace cruised to a 2-0 victory over Newcastle United at Selhurst Park on Wednesday, securing their Premier League survival for another season.
The Eagles were the better side throughout the contest, with Mateta opening the scoring in the 55th minute after a clever exchange with Jordan Ayew. The French forward then wrapped up the points in the 88th minute with a low drive, taking his tally for the season to 11.
The victory moved Palace up to 14th in the table, 14 points clear of the relegation zone, while Newcastle dropped to seventh.
Palace started the game brightly, with Mateta causing the Newcastle defense all sorts of problems. The Frenchman had a great chance to score in the early stages, but his header went wide. However, he made no mistake in the 55th minute, firing home after Ayew had played him in.
Newcastle had a good chance to equalize in the 77th minute when Sean Longstaff went down in the area under a challenge from Will Hughes. However, the referee waved away Newcastle’s penalty appeals, and VAR upheld the decision.
Palace then sealed the win in the 88th minute, with Mateta driving a low cross from Hughes through the legs of Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.
The victory was a welcome boost for Palace manager Oliver Glasner, who has overseen a significant improvement in the team’s form since taking over in November. Palace have now won three of their last four Premier League games, and they will be looking to finish the season strongly as they aim to secure a top-half finish.
For Newcastle, the defeat was a disappointing end to a difficult week. The Magpies had lost 4-2 at home to Manchester United on Saturday, and they will be looking to bounce back when they host Liverpool on Saturday.
