Newcastle United miss out on opportunity at Crystal Palace

Newcastle United and manager Rafa Benitez came into their encounter at Crystal Palace on Saturday with the aim of securing their first victory of the 2018-19 season. With a strong line-up set for the game, fans were hopeful of a strong performance. Instead, in front of rarely seen owner Mike Ashley, the Magpies were fortunate to earn a point on their travels in a 0-0 draw.

The home side enjoyed the majority of possession and created far more scoring chances throughout the afternoon at Selhurst Park, and will feel a sense of failure in not gaining maximum points. Luka Milivojević was sharp in his passing, while former Toon winger Andros Townsend caused issues up front for the visitors.

For Newcastle, goalkeeper Martin Dúbravka was again a key figure, making several crucial saves to keep the match level. Central defenders Jamaal Lascelles and Federico Fernández positioned themselves effectively often to clear out chances as well. But Benitez will specifically be disappointed in the attack.

Salomón Rondón and Ayoze Pérez started up front, and struggled to make a significant impact. Rondón was subbed off for Joselu at the start of the second half, while Pérez made way for Yoshinori Muto in the 81st minute. Ultimately, none of the forwards had the desired effect for the Magpies.

Perhaps the most surprising outing belonged to Kenedy, who has not quite looked the same since a disastrous penalty miss at Cardiff City earlier in the term. Inaccurate passes and sloppy plays on the ball did not lead to success for the Brazilian, and supporters will be looking for him to reverse his fortunes quickly for next weekend against Leicester City.

After a difficult stretch to begin the season, United felt that this could be a fixture to gain three points from. This was a match that the players should have grabbed with all their might, and battled for the necessary result right down to the final whistle. But the pressure was almost all from Palace, and Newcastle find themselves in the relegation zone after six Premier League games.

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Owner Mike Ashley heard many chants from the travelling support on Saturday, taking in his first United match since the end of the 2016-17 Championship campaign. Newcastle’s owner received a first-hand view of what Benitez is dealing with, and is feeling the angst from the fans.

Tensions are again high on Tyneside, specifically with protests and the coming release of Kevin Keegan’s new book (which does not paint Ashley in a positive light). Benitez is in the final year of his contract, and reinforcements on the pitch will absolutely be needed in January. The influential element for all this will be if Ashley actually puts change into action.

Newcastle United and Rafa Benitez had a golden opportunity on Saturday to steal a win at Crystal Palace. However, the search for the season’s opening win continues on.