Newcastle 1-2 Crystal Palace: Riedewald and Cahill goals pile pressure back on Steve Bruce

Graeme Jones took the credit for Newcastle’s first win of 2021 on Saturday, but Steve Bruce will take the blame after yet another defeat.

That is the lot of the Magpies boss right now. Supporters want him gone and they took great delight in attributing the 2-0 victory at Everton to new assistant manager Jones, who brought with him a new diamond formation.

Bruce has claimed that the team’s improvement pre-dated Jones’ arrival and it was interesting to see the new coach start this game in the stands, having been so animated on the touchline at Goodison Park.

Jonjo Shelvey had fired Newcastle into a early lead with a powerful effort from outside the box

Jairo Riedewald celebrated with his team-mates after bringing Crystal Palace level

A few minutes later and they were in front with Gary Cahill heading beyond Karl Darlow

Cahill’s header proved to be the difference as Palace left St James’ Park with the three points

But, despite picking up where they left off when Jonjo Shelvey scored after 70 seconds, Newcastle trailed at half-time. 

Their disjointed performance in the second half was no different to those during the six straight defeats which kicked off the calendar year.

Palace, meanwhile, eased 15 points clear of the bottom three thanks to a quick-fire double from Jairo Riedewald and Gary Cahill, who became the club’s oldest Premier League scorer at 35 years old.

Winning boss Roy Hodgson said: ‘We got over conceding the early goal very well and deserved to be leading at half-time. I don’t care whether Gary is 35 or 25, to be honest, it was a good goal and another good performance.’

Bruce, who turned 60 on New Year’s Eve, said this week that he cannot see himself managing, like Hodgson, at 73. He might not fancy seeing 61 in the dugout after another loss that has intensified calls for him to be replaced.

But Bruce said: ‘The performance was pleasing for me. We didn’t deserve to get beat. We found it a struggle to create in the second half and we had to be more clinical in the first half.’

Jones has been brought in to offer a fresh voice but, despite another promising opening period, it all felt very stale as the game wore on.

Three of the players who benefited most from the tactical changes at Everton combined to give Newcastle their early lead.

Miguel Almiron has looked like a little boy lost being shunted from wing to wing so far this season. But the Paraguayan has grown in stature and found home in a No.10 role.

His newfound intent proved the source for the opener, a smart piece of skill seeing him feed Callum Wilson and the striker – scorer of both goals at Everton – teed up Shelvey to volley home from 20 yards. 

Wilfried Zaha thought he scored when he had the ball in the net in the first half but was offside

The Palace forward was forced off shortly before the hour mark with a suspected injury

This setback leaves Steve Bruce under pressure with Newcastle hoovering above drop zone

But there is still work to be done at the other end, and that is why Newcastle soon found themselves behind.

Palace’s equaliser, on 21 minutes, may have looked like a freakish strike from Riedewald – lashing in via a deflection from 25 yards – but it came after the visitors had cut open their hosts with an incisive attack down the left.

In fact, Palace enjoyed a 10-minute period where they were tearing Newcastle to pieces and they were in front when Cahill flashed in a header from Eberechi Eze’s wicked free-kick.

Jones had by now made his way pitchside, no doubt sensing the shift in momentum. But it swung back in Newcastle’s favour approaching half-time and Almiron shaved the top of the crossbar from a free-kick.

Newcastle, though, looked more like the team who had slumped to that run of defeats as they struggled to create anything of note in the second half.

And, for that, Bruce will bear the brunt.