Newcastle United were again held to a 1-1 draw in the Premier League on Sunday as Ciaran Clark’s defensive lapse allowed Crystal Palace to earn a point.
The Magpies had deservedly led through Mo Diame’s strike at half-time, but the struggling Clark foolishly tugged back Christian Benteke to tee up Luka Milovojevic to score a second-half penalty.
Newcastle and Clark fought to preserve a point in the final stages, though, and here is how we rated the visiting players…
Karl Darlow – 7
The goalkeeper combined a string of superb reaction stops with some errors under pressure, while he was unfortunate not to keep out the spot-kick.
DeAndre Yedlin – 5
Despite possessing the requisite athleticism to match Wilfried Zaha, the American’s poor decision-making too often allowed Palace’s star man to roam free.
Jamaal Lascelles – 6
The captain made a couple of minor mistakes early on, but he swept up well when his fellow centre-half was struggling.
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Ciaran Clark – 4
Clark’s poor positional play was eventually punished when he needlessly fouled Benteke, but his late block from the same man was vital.
Paul Dummett – 7
Once again, the left-back was one of Newcastle’s top performers, keeping former team-mate Andros Townsend in check.
Matt Ritchie – 6
Having foregone his defensive duties too often this season, Ritchie marked his return to the team with a determined display on the right, helping Yedlin where he could.
Jonjo Shelvey – 6
The England international moved the ball well in the first half, but Palace took complete control after the break.
Mo Diame – 7
Diame was rewarded with a goal from yet another fine display, with the Magpies feeling his absence after a second-half withdrawal.
Kenedy – 7
In just two matches, the Brazilian has already shown exactly what he is able to offer Newcastle. His pace, trickery and final ball will be relied upon in the run-in.
Ayoze Perez – 6
The Spaniard almost put the game beyond Palace in a wonderful 30-second stretch, feeding Kenedy and then drawing a save on the rebound. He faded thereafter, however.
Dwight Gayle – 5
Returning to his former club, Gayle offered very little once again. An early snapshot was as good as it got, with Newcastle missing Joselu’s presence.
Christian Atsu (sub for Kenedy) – 6
Atsu was full of energy after his introduction and almost single-handedly maintained an attacking threat.
Isaac Hayden (sub for Diame) – 6
The midfielder has been a victim of Diame’s fine form, but he acquitted himself well with some key challenges in the final 25 minutes.
Mikel Merino (sub for Perez) – 6
This was not Merino’s finest display in a slightly unfamiliar role, but he at least provided Newcastle with some much-needed presence at the top of the pitch.