Van Aanholt shows strikers the way to sink toothless Newcastle
It was not pretty, in fact it was downright ugly at times, but Crystal Palace, dominant from first to last, won for only the second time since mid-December against a lacklustre, powderpuff Newcastle United who were fortunate to return north with just a single-goal defeat.
“We never asked their defenders to defend,” Steve Bruce, the New- castle head coach, sighed. “We gave the ball away in so many areas. We didn’t do enough and we have to accept the con- sequences. Maybe it’s time for a change.”
Fourteenth hosting 13th, the Premier League’s lowest scorers hosting the joint next to lowest, might not be a natural pulse quickener at first glance, but these are complicated times. Sliding towards trouble as if on a bobsleigh at kick-off, Palace have arrested their fall and can take heart from the complete nature of their performance. Newcastle have managed just one Premier League victory since they defeated Palace in December.
“We should have made it more comfortable for ourselves,” Roy Hodgson, the Palace manager, argued. “But even the most ardent Newcastle fan could not say ‘Palace, you were lucky’.” Both teams have the same elephant in their respective dressing rooms. In Joelinton – one league goal since August – and Christian Benteke – two league goals in two seasons – each have a timid, big-money striker who is not striking, and both endured another menace-free afternoon.
“We didn’t cross it enough, we didn’t do the basics well enough to give him a chance,” Bruce lamented. “There is one thing, though, and that was we didn’t give up. Morale is not a problem with this group of players.” Palace assumed control and would never relinquish it. Before 20 minutes had passed, Martin Dubravka had made two superlative saves from Palace headers, first from Gary Cahill and then Scott Dann. But when Benteke had his only opportunity, a free header six yards out following Patrick van Aanholt’s delicious free kick, Dubravka was not called upon and the ball sailed wide. With Palace utterly dominant, Newcastle hunkered down and waited for the storm to abate. When it did, they were unsure of how to proceed. They picked up three early yellow cards to create a self-imposed tightrope, but, as half-time beckoned, they sensed the worst had passed. Then, Fabian Schar gave away a cheap free-kick 25 yards out. The wall looked solid, but Van Aanholt’s strike dipped and curled its way into the side of the net Dubravka might have been expected to cover.
The full-back had his third goal of the season and his team had their rightful reward and now lie just seven points behind fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, who must still visit Selhurst Park.
“We rate Patrick very highly,” Hodgson said. “He has great technical ability, but he has confidence too and I like that in a player.
“Our penalty taker, Luka Milivojevic, was injured and Patrick asked to take a set-piece if necessary and he assured me he’d score.”
Three minutes after the restart, more Van Aanholt foraging down the left, ended with Jordan Ayew rolling a shot against the post, Cahill headed into the side-netting and a Palace second seemed as inevitable as their first one had been.
Swamped in midfield, Newcastle switched to a front two, but they struggled for inspiration and coherence.
Then, Newcastle roused themselves. James McCarthy and Vicente Guaita struggled to clear a Danny Rose cross. It broke to Schar, whose deflected, goal-bound effort was athletically tipped over by Guaita.
Newcastle’s resurrection was but a chimera and the ever-present undercurrent of unpleasantness was encapsulated in added time when Valentino Lazaro hauled down Wilfried Zaha and was dismissed.