Newcastle increase pressure on Crystal Palace while Brentford secure a point at Hull City
Newcastle United secured a vital 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace on Sunday, increasing the mounting pressure on under-fire manager Pierre Sage. Meanwhile, Dango Ouattara scored a crucial second-half equaliser to earn Brentford a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Hull City. These results leave Newcastle eighth and Brentford sixth, while Palace languish in 17th place.
Magpies compound Palace misery
Newcastle have piled more misery on Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park following a dreadful second-half performance from the hosts. After a forgettable opening period, Matthias Jaissle saw his team strike immediately after the restart. Barely a minute after the break, Will Osula turned home an excellent cross from Jacob Murphy to give the visitors the lead. Harvey Barnes then slammed home a second goal just before the hour mark, capitalising on a tight offside call that had earlier denied Joe Willock. The result lifts Newcastle to 11 points with their first clean sheet since August, while Palace remain on just seven points.
Tigers maintain home record
In Sunday's other fixture, Hull have extended their unbeaten home record at the MKM Stadium but failed to secure all three points against Brentford. The hosts took the lead in the 24th minute after Aaron Hickey failed to collect a pass and fouled Tim Iroegbunam inside the area. Oli McBurnie stepped up and confidently picked out the bottom right corner, scoring his first Premier League goal in over 900 days. Although Caoimhin Kelleher guessed the right direction, he could not prevent the strike, giving Hull a deserved advantage before half-time.
Ouattara rescues Brentford point
Brentford responded well after the break to salvage a valuable point on the road. Following some inattentive defending from the hosts in the 63rd minute, Igor Thiago found Ouattara, who slotted home under minimal pressure to equalise. Jaidon Anthony pushed for a second goal for the visitors, forcing a save from Konstantinos Tzolakis. Late in the match, Mohamed-Ali Cho delivered a cross to Joe Gelhardt, but his off-target shot ensured both sides shared the spoils. Brentford now sit sixth on 11 points, while Hull occupy 10th place with 10 points.
What comes next?
Newcastle have their sights set on climbing higher than their current eighth position in the upcoming weeks. Meanwhile, Palace desperately need a positive result to ease the mounting pressure on Sage. Brentford and Hull must now prepare for their next fixtures to secure crucial league victories.
