We asked Mark Jankowski to give us his match ratings and player comments after Newcastle 2 Crystal Palace 0.
Pope 7
A quiet day for our number 1.
He only had to make one save and did his job well when required to claim the ball. or move it on quickly.
Miley 8
Lewis Miley has demonstrated what a top talent he is with his recent performances at right-back.
He defended well when required and became increasingly confident moving forward as the game wore on.
His clever ball across goal was vital for our opener.
Thiaw 9
He had Mateta in his back pocket for the whole game.
I can’t remember a centre-back who has settled in as quickly as Thiaw, in recent memory.
Managed to get on the score sheet too to help calm any nerves of a Palace rally.
He’s got to be one of the signings of the season.
Schar 8
Solid from Fabien today.
Made some of his trademark cross-field passing and covered across well when tasked with his defensive duties.
Hall 7
I’m not sure if he was still nursing his ankle from midweek but Hall had a bit of a mixed performance when compared with his recent showings.
He was solid enough in his defensive work and made a few forays forward but was lacking the cutting edge he’s shown recently.
Bruno 9 (MOTM)
Bruno might be having his best season in the black and white.
He led by example all game long and never hid when he was put under pressure in the middle of the pitch.
Popped up with another important goal too.
If we achieve anything this season, Bruno will be at the heart of it.
Tonali 6
Tonali looked a little off the pace today.
I thought he put in a great shift midweek and maybe he was feeling the effects a little today.
He was working hard but too often was loose with his passing in tight areas.
Joelinton 8
Big Joe is looking back to his best, which is excellent news with a big month ahead.
He was strong in the tackle and linked the play well when transitioning to attack.
Murphy 5
I’m not sure if he was operating on strict orders to hang back and help out Miley but Murphy was tentative in his attacking efforts today.
Couple that with some very sloppy passing and some daft offsides and it was a day to forget for Murph.
Wissa 6
He looked lively in the first half and could have given us the lead in the opening minutes.
He was marginally offside on a dangerous run in behind which led to a disallowed Gordon opener.
Was pretty quiet in the second half so probably lost a point for that.
Gordon 7
I thought Anthony Gordon was at the heart of everything good we did in the first half.
He didn’t have quite the same impact in the second but always looked a threat when running at the Palace backline.
He was unfortunate not to get on the score sheet today too.
Subs
Barnes 7
Barnes is just so much more effective coming off the bench.
His single-minded attacking intent just terrifies tired defenders.
He was a menace once he stepped onto the pitch and could have easily scored a couple on another day.
Ramsey 6
Was positive with his touches in midfield.
Didn’t do an awful lot but was important in helping transition the ball forward.
Livramento 6
Was great to see Tino back on the pitch.
He was a little off the pace at times but he put in a decent shift with the time he had.
Woltemade 6
Didn’t get a sniff of goal but managed to win a few key free-kicks to help kill the game off.
Willock N/A (not on long enough to rate)
Missed a sitter, worked hard in his handful of minutes.
Newcastle 2 Crystal Palace 0 – Sunday 3 January 2026 3pm
Match Stats
Goals:
Newcastle United:
Bruno 71, Thiaw 78
Palace:
Possession was Newcastle 59% Palace 41%
Total shots were Newcastle 12 Palace 11
Shots on target were Newcastle 7 Palace 1
Corners were Newcastle 8 Palace 6
Touches in the opposition box Newcastle 35 Palace 26
Newcastle team v Crystal Palace:
Pope, Miley, Thiaw, Schar, Hall (Livramento 63), Tonali (Ramsey 63), Joelinton, Bruno, Jacob Murphy (Willock 88), Gordon (Barnes 63), Wissa (Woltemade 78)
Unused subs:
Ramsdale, Trippier, Botman, Alex Murphy
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