Patrick van Aanholt’s stunner fires Crystal Palace to victory over Newcastle
This stadium has never been a particularly happy hunting ground for Steve Bruce. Almost 20 years since he walked out on Crystal Palace when they were top of the table in the Championship so he could rejoin Birmingham, a stunning free-kick from former Sunderland player Patrick van Aanholt condemned 10-man Newcastle to a costly defeat that leaves them still dicing with danger at the bottom end of the Premier League table.
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Bruce was struck by a missile coming off the team coach on his first return to Selhurst Park in 2001. But while attitudes in this part of the world towards the former Manchester United captain have softened, he was justifiably disappointed that his current team showed a lack of desire against opponents who appeared desperate to finally record their first victory of the new decade.
“Maybe it’s time to change,” he admitted. “Maybe we need to try something different? We’ve played a certain way all season and we’ve always looked a threat but not today.”
Despite starting the day as the division’s lowest scorers, there was no lack of effort from the home side as they bombarded Newcastle’s goal in the opening 20 minutes only to find Martin Dubravka in inspired form.
The save to deny Gary Cahill from a corner was only marginally better than his athletic leap to deflect Scott Dann’s effort on to the crossbar less than 10 minutes later. Even Dubravka would have been helpless to do anything about Christian Benteke’s header soon afterwards had the Belgium striker managed to hit the target from close range.
Somehow Newcastle survived the onslaught but appeared to be severely lacking in confidence following the 4-0 thrashing against Arsenal last weekend. Bruce resisted the temptation to drop the record signing Joelinton, who had failed to score for 23 matches, and the Brazilian produced Newcastle’s only shot on target of a tepid first-half display. Van Aanholt’s arrowing free-kick just before the break which left Dubravka grasping at thin air was therefore a fair reflection of Palace’s dominance.
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The energetic Jordan Ayew was unlucky not to double their lead when he struck the outside of the post following Van Aanholt’s cross at the start of the second half. Newcastle have not won on the road in the Premier League since the start of December and continued to look toothless in attack during the second half even with Allan Saint-Maximin pushed up the pitch.
It took some last-ditch defending from James McArthur to clear a dangerous cross from Danny Rose in a rare attack, while Ayew again drew the best from Dubravka at the other end following good work from Wilfried Zaha.
Bruce threw on the former Palace striker Dwight Gayle in a bid to salvage something from the game but Newcastle’s day ended on another sour note when their new loan signing Valentino Lazaro was shown a needless red card in injury time for hauling back Zaha when he was clean through.
“There’s been a bounce in everyone’s step this week,” said Hodgson. “This means we go into the next match with the knife that little bit further from our throat.”
