Crystal Palace vs Newcastle: Prediction, team news and match preview as Rafa Benitez’s side continue search for first Premier League win of the season
SunSport brings you all you need to know about the clash this weekend as Toon look to bounce back
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WILFRIED ZAHA's moment of brillance on his return to the Crystal Palace side at Huddersfield was enough to secure their second win of the season.
That ended a run of three successive league defeats for Roy Hodgson's men.
However, it's been a miserable start to the season for Newcastle - who have picked up just one point from their first five games.
The Magpies have now equalled their worst-ever start to a Premier League campaign - which dates all the way back to 1999 - after failing to win any of their opening matches.
Key Man
Who else, but Wilfried Zaha?
The Eagles are a far weaker side without him, with his performances getting better and better every week.
The 25-year-old, who launched a stinging attack on Prem referees after the Huddersfield win, has three goals in four appearances this season.
Quite simply, if Zaha plays anything like he did against the Terriers last weekend, Rafa Benitez's men are in for a long afternoon.
Weakest link
While Newcastle have been the victim of conceding sloppy goals already this season, the main problem is they don't have enough quality or pace to be a genuine threat on the counter attack - especially when playing so deep.
While they've had a tough start to the season - losing all their games to the so-called 'big six' teams - they must improve and quickly. The midfield and attack need to step up.
Likely line-ups
Palace are without Scott Dann, Pape Souare, Connor Wickham and Christian Benteke through injury.
Newcastle will be without Florian Lejeune through injury, while Jamaal Lascelles is an injury doubt for the Magpies - something which will be of huge concern to Benitez.
Crystal Palace likely XI: Hennessey; Wan-Bissaka, Tomkins, Sakho, van Aanholt; Kouyate, Milivojevic, McArthur; Townsend, Zaha; Ayew
Newcastle likely XI: Dubravka; Yedlin, Lascelles, Fernandez, Dummett; Shelvey, Diame; Ritchie, Perez, Kenedy; Rondon
The stat that matters
The fact that the Magpies have now equalled their worst ever start to a Premier League campaign will be a huge concern to the club's hierarchy.
The last time they started a top-flight season so poorly was in 1999, which led to the resignation of then-manager Ruud Gullit as the legendary Sir Bobby Robson took over the reins at St James Park.
What the managers said
After his side's 2-1 defeat to the Gunners, a defiant Benitez said: "No. I am not surprised.
"I said before, it’s a difficult time because you have to win games, but it’s nothing that we were not expecting, we knew it could be like that.
“The only thing is that maybe against Cardiff, we could have got three points because we had the late penalty.
“But the reality is that against a top side, you can lose and we have lost by a small margin. That’s the only positive.
“You think that if you do well, you can get points against these teams.”
Elsewhere, Roy Hodgson said following his side's 1-0 win at Huddersfield:
"It's really good to work with the group of players who are an excellent group to work with and it's good to see that we are progressing in my opinion.
"We've got a lot more progression to come, don't forget [Aaron] Wan-Bissaka is just 10 or 11 league games maybe [as a pro]. Patrick van Aanholt was fantastic at the end of last season but still with his qualities a margin for progression.
Prediction
I can't see Newcastle getting any type of result on Saturday. As ever, they'll be backed by a huge away following, but I can't see anything but a home win with Zaha to notch again for the Eagles.
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