‘Newcastle were maybe’ - Eddie Howe given ‘intensity’ lesson as Crystal Palace penalty admission made

Oliver Glasner hailed Crystal Palace’s “intensity” after their 2-0 win over Newcastle United - highlighting their achievements against a European-chasing side.

A Jean-Philippe Mateta brace put the Magpies to the sword in the second half, with Palace good value for all three points. Newcastle looked sluggish - despite 10 days off - managing just one shot on target in the 86th minute.

The back-five system that worked wonders against Tottenham Hotspur barely landed a glove on the Eagles. Speaking post-match, Palace boss Glasner was “scared” by his team’s intensity levels.

“When I saw the first 30 minutes, I was so impressed by the intensity we played with,” he said. “I was really scared - it’s not a joke. I was scared if they continued playing like this that we’d have to make 10 substitutions in minute 60 because I couldn't believe what I saw.

“There were moments when Newcastle didn't get out of their half and it's Newcastle playing for Europa League (and) playing in the Champions League this season. There's a lot of quality, there's a lot of speed and how they (Palace’s players) work together is really amazing.

“This is the way we want to go together and it's a lot of effort, it's a lot of discipline, it's a lot of hard work and the players are doing it. So that's why I give all the credit to the players because we're just telling them what they have to do and they’re doing it really well.”

Glasner also hinted at Newcastle deserving a penalty with the scoreline at 1-0. Will Hughes brought Sean Longstaff down in the box but VAR decided not to intervene.

“Maybe if we conceded a penalty it would be 1-1 at that time, and it was when Newcastle were maybe a little bit fresher because they didn't have a game three days before, but then we scored for 2-0 and the game was decided,” he added. “It's always tight so you have to work hard for this, and then you get the reward.

“For us, it's staying hungry and staying ambitious, because everything we do, we do for the club, we do for our fans and we do for us as a group. Everybody knows how good it is to win a game and, since the Liverpool game, we're flying on a cloud.

“We want to keep this feeling until the end of the season. Again, this is hard work, but the players give me the confidence that they are really hard working for the future.”