Newcastle United vs Crystal Palace is expected to be very ‘close’.
That is the view of Chris Sutton, who has predicted the Magpies’ Premier League clash with the Eagles.
Newcastle United are aiming to make it six wins in a row in all competitions, while they know that merely avoiding defeat will lift them up to third in the Premier League table.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 3 |  Nottm ForestNottingham Forest | 32 | 17 | 6 | 9 | 51 | 38 | 13 | 57 |
| 4 |  NewcastleNewcastle | 31 | 17 | 5 | 9 | 56 | 40 | 16 | 56 |
| 5 |  Man CityManchester City | 32 | 16 | 7 | 9 | 62 | 42 | 20 | 55 |
However, Crystal Palace will provide a stern test. They have been impressive defensively away from home, despite losing 5-2 to Manchester City at the Etihad on Saturday.
Ahead of the game, Oliver Glasner has praised Newcastle, but believes his side are more than capable of victory at St James’ Park.
Chris Sutton predicts Newcastle United vs Crystal Palace
However, that view is not shared by Chris Sutton.
The former Blackburn Rovers striker has told BBC Sport that Newcastle United will beat Crystal Palace on Wednesday night.
“Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has had a really tough time and the most important thing is that he makes a speedy recovery from his illness,” Sutton said.
“His players put in a performance to make him proud in Sunday’s win over Manchester United, and I can see them doing the same again here.
“The Magpies have won four [league] games in a row and, with a top-five place in their sights, I just can’t see past them winning this one too on current form, especially at home.
“It will be close though. Crystal Palace have picked up more points on the road this season than they have at Selhurst Park, and they caused Manchester City plenty of problems early on at the weekend. City fought back well to win after going 2-0 down, but we saw how Palace’s plan worked early on and how dangerous they are on the break.
“They will do the same thing this time, with their wing-backs picking their moments to spring forward, and they will certainly pose a threat even if Newcastle have most of the ball. I think Palace will score, but Newcastle are going to be hard to keep out.
“I’ve always been a fan of Harvey Barnes and, with his competition with Anthony Gordon on the left flank, and Jacob Murphy on the other side, they have got lots of firepower alongside Alexander Isak.”
Sutton’s prediction: Newcastle United 2 Crystal Palace 1
Newcastle United’s recent record against Crystal Palace
Newcastle United go into Wednesday night’s game as favourites, while their recent record against the Eagles sums up how tight it will be.
Over the last seven Premier League meetings between the two sides, Newcastle United have won two, drawn four and lost one.
During that period, the only game that was settled by a margin of more than two goals was last season when Eddie Howe’s side won 4-0 at St James’ Park. The Magpies had four different scorers that day, with Anthony Gordon, Jacob Murphy, Sean Longstaff and Callum Wilson all finding the net.
The Magpies have not lost at St James’ Park to Crystal Palace since February 2021. That game was held behind closed doors, with Steve Bruce in charge of Newcastle. His side lost 2-1.
Earlier this season, Newcastle and Palace could not be separated. Howe and Glasner’s sides played out a 1-1 draw, with Daniel Munoz scoring an equaliser in stoppage time at Selhurst Park.
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