Eddie Howe watched on as his Newcastle United team lost to Crystal Palace.
A poor match with both teams struggling to threaten the opposition goal, United took the lead with easily their best quality move of the match.
Lewis Miley’s excellent low cross from the right eventually turned in by William Osula just before the break.
A match that appeared to be meandering to a dour Newcastle United win, then fell apart late on.
Livramento totally misjudging a cross and Palace equalised.
Then a really soft penalty giving Mateta the chance for his second and Palace’s winner.
Eddie Howe speaking to official club media after the 2-1 defeat: “Yeah, really disappointing again from us. Worked so hard to get in a positive position, played pretty well that first half and leading the game. A lot of the performance I was pleased with.”
“Of course, at the end of the game, we don’t defend well enough for that last 20 minutes, albeit I don’t think they had a load of chances. It is uncharacteristic of us again, going on past history, to defend like that. So yeah, we are desperately disappointed.”
Interviewer asks: “The penalty that decided the game, do you think it was soft?”
Eddie Howe: “I feel it was soft, but once the referee gives it, I don’t think he is going to overturn it. I think Sven has grabbed his shirt. I don’t think there is a lot in it. It’s given and it was a hugely disappointing end to the game. It was so late, we had very little time to do anything about it. It is a goal we have gifted them really.”
Interviewer: “You will be well aware that it is 25 points dropped from winning positions. It feels like you are close, you are nearly there, but you are just struggling to get over the line at times?”
Eddie Howe: “Yeah, I mean, it is a crazy statistic, and I have no idea where that comes from. It is something that has blighted our season all year when we have worked so hard. For me it is the hardest thing to do, to get in the lead, to implement your plan, to gain the momentum enough to score. And you saw today how hard we had to work for that goal. And there is a feeling that we have gifted our opponent goals at times, at bad moments. And it has affected our psychology, it is clear to see we are struggling in that aspect at the moment. I do think these things, just sometimes they happen. And you work your way out of it eventually and then hopefully that becomes a positive because you have learned from previous mistakes. But I don’t know whether it is we are preoccupied with the result and we are desperate to win so much that it has impacted so much that it has affected us negatively…I think it is a difficult one to actually define, where the issue is, other than saying it is clearly psychological.”
Crystal Palace 2 Newcastle 1 – Sunday 12 April 2026 2pm
Match Stats
Goals:
Newcastle United:
Osula 43
Palace:
Mateta 80, 90+4 pen
Possession was Newcastle 59% Palace 41%
Total shots were Newcastle 7 Palace 11
Shots on target were Newcastle 3 Palace 5
Corners were Newcastle 4 Palace 2
Touches in the opposition box Newcastle 14 Palace 21
Newcastle team v Crystal Palace:
Ramsdale; Livramento, Thiaw, Botman, Hall; Miley, Tonali (Elanga 95), Joelinton (Ramsey 84); Murphy (Wissa 95), Osula (Woltemade 84), Gordon (Barnes 71)
Unused subs:
Pope, Trippier, Burn, Willock