Newcastle United continued their inspired form in the absence of manager Eddie Howe, thrashing Crystal Palace 5-0 at St James’ Park on Wednesday to strengthen their bid for Champions League football next season.
Howe, currently recovering from pneumonia, missed his second straight match, but his players once again delivered a performance that reflected his influence. Following a 4-1 demolition of Manchester United over the weekend, the Magpies climbed to third in the Premier League with another commanding display.
“Everyone has shared texts with him and he’s on the road to recovery,” said winger Jacob Murphy, who opened the scoring. “We’re missing him but once again I think we put in a performance that he’d be really proud of. There are so many people we need to thank tonight who continue the great work the gaffer does with us.”
Murphy got the ball rolling with a thunderous strike from a tight angle that zipped past Dean Henderson. When asked if it was a cross or a shot, he was quick to claim full credit.
“I did mean it, yeah!” Murphy laughed. “When the juice is flowing, you’ve just got to hit it. The defender came out, so it was going to be hard to get it through him. I thought, ‘ah, just shoot here’. Lovely.”
Newcastle now sit on 59 points—five clear of sixth-placed Chelsea—with just six games remaining. With the top five earning spots in next season’s expanded Champions League format, the Magpies are well-positioned heading into a vital away clash with seventh-placed Aston Villa on Saturday.
“We’re in a good position but there’s a lot more weekends to go and a lot can change,” Murphy added. “We have to stay on top of our game and keep going, but we are in a great place at the moment.”
Howe may not be on the touchline, but his spirit is clearly guiding Newcastle’s late-season charge toward Europe’s elite stage.
