It was the moment Oliver Glasner had been eagerly anticipating. With Crystal Palace on the brink of another costly defeat due to Marc Guéhi’s own goal against the club that had fervently pursued him in the summer, a late equalizer from Daniel Muñoz dramatically altered the course of the match. Newcastle must have believed they had done enough to secure a win against Palace, despite failing to register a single shot on target. However, they overlooked Muñoz, who earlier missed a golden opportunity when Palace dominated the first half but made no error in heading home Guéhi’s cross in the fifth minute of stoppage time, lifting Palace out of the relegation zone.
The match ended chaotically, with the home side initially facing another disappointing result. Eddie Howe, however, had no grounds for complaint after his team’s lackluster performance, especially after losing Alexander Isak to a hip injury in the first half. Howe had asserted during the week that Bruno Guimarães and Sandro Tonali could start together in midfield, recalling the Italian in place of Sean Longstaff to demonstrate this. Newcastle’s inconsistencies this season were epitomized by their home defeat against West Ham on Monday, and they struggled to create chances here after Isak’s departure.
Palace’s primary issue this season has been their lack of clinical finishing, having scored only three goals in their six previous home matches. The return of Eberechi Eze after a month out with a hamstring injury was timely, though he appeared short of match fitness and was substituted when Palace were pushing for an equalizer. Despite their scoring woes, Guéhi had stated in the week that Palace are capable of defeating any team at Selhurst Park. However, both sides seemed hesitant to take risks early on, resulting in a scrappy affair. Eze missed a chance to capitalize on a lofted ball from Ismaïla Sarr after a swift exchange of passes outside the Newcastle box.
There was further bad news for Howe when Isak was forced off after an awkward landing on his hip following a challenge with Tyrick Mitchell. The Sweden striker tried to continue but was replaced by Harvey Barnes, who immediately tested the defense with a cross. Sarr failed to beat Nick Pope from close range after a superb passing move from Palace, and Muñoz missed an open goal from Sarr’s pass after a breathtaking break sparked by a clever backheel from Eze. Glasner’s frustration was palpable.
Howe’s frustration grew at the start of the second half as another promising Newcastle attack faltered. This fixture has historically featured low-scoring matches, and it seemed both defenses were in control. However, everything changed when Gordon was fouled by Lerma just outside the Palace area. A clever free-kick routine led to Guéhi inadvertently turning Gordon’s cross past the stranded Dean Henderson, much to the Palace captain’s dismay. The Palace players were furious when referee Darren England dismissed penalty appeals after a shot from Will Hughes appeared to hit Fabian Schär’s arm. Sarr was again denied by Pope, and a heroic block from Dan Burn prevented Muñoz from scoring the rebound that would have redeemed his earlier miss.
Palace’s desperation grew as they pushed forward in search of an equalizer. Eze was replaced by Justin Devenny, but Pope again denied Jean-Philippe Mateta from a tight angle before the Frenchman missed from the resulting corner, leaving Glasner visibly distressed. Yet, there was still time for Muñoz to have the final word.
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