The fixture build-up looks to have caught up with Crystal Palace, who will be praying they can end a six-game winless streak when they travel to St James’ Park to face Newcastle.
The Eagles head north three days after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Fulham in a tough London derby, two days after Newcastle were last in action when they won 3-1 at Burnley.
Team news
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe could welcome back full-backs Tino Livramento and Kieran Trippier into his squad, but fellow defenders Emil Krafth, Dan Burn and Jamaal Lascelles are out.
Sven Botman is closing in on a return and could be involved, as could Anthony Elanga, but William Osula remains sidelined.
For Palace, Jefferson Lerma is set to retain his spot in their back three, with Chris Richards unlikely to have recovered from a foot problem.
Eddie Nketiah could be in contention after missing the 1-1 draw against Fulham, while Will Hughes should have shaken off a hip issue.
Daichi Kamada, Daniel Munoz, Rio Cardines, Cheick Doucoure, Chadi Riad and Caleb Kporha are all in the treatment room, while Ismaila Sarr is at the Africa Cup of Nations.
The stats
Newcastle’s matches produce a division-high 11.6 corners per game, with the Magpies also winning the most corners (6.3) of any top-flight side.
Palace have failed to score on any of their last four Premier League trips to Newcastle, losing the last two away games by a 9-0 aggregate scoreline.
Newcastle’s Yoane Wissa has been involved in eight goals (six goals, two assists) in his last eight Premier League starts (including time at Brentford).
Palace have conceded only nine away goals in the league this season, a record bettered only by Arsenal (7).
The Eagles have kept eight away clean sheets in all competitions.
Prediction
Oliver Glasner’s Palace are not quite running on empty, but they look like a tired side going into 2026, and that spells danger at Newcastle.
This will be the Eagles’ 13th game in 42 days, a brutal run, and comes less than three days after they were last in action, a 1-1 draw against Fulham on Thursday.
Palace, playing in the Conference League this season, know all too well about the demands of Thursday-Sunday action, and it is something they are struggling with.
Their last six Thursday fixtures have been followed by a failure to win their next assignment, and that could become seven at the weekend.
Certainly Newcastle is a tough place to go at the best of times, but in the middle of winter, in the midst of a packed and tiring schedule, this looks like a thankless trip.
At a venue where they lost 5-0 last season and 4-0 the term before, a ground where they have not even found the net on any of their last five visits in all competitions, the Magpies are the team to beat.
Naturally, Eddie Howe’s men, buoyed by a 3-1 win at Burnley on Tuesday (48 hours earlier than Palace’s last game), are priced accordingly.
They have won eight and drawn the other two of their last 10 at home, have scored at least two goals in all contests and can win this handily enough without conceding.
