Newcastle United climbed to third in the Premier League with a dominant 5-0 victory over Crystal Palace, significantly boosting their chances of Champions League qualification

[dropcap]N[/dropcap]ewcastle United delivered a sensational performance at St James’ Park on Wednesday, thrashing Crystal Palace 5-0 to surge up to third place in the Premier League. This commanding victory significantly strengthens their bid for a return to the Champions League next season.

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Jacob Murphy, Harvey Barnes, Fabian Schar, and Alexander Isak all found the net for the rampant Magpies, with Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi also contributing an own goal.

Newcastle showcased their attacking prowess despite the absence of manager Eddie Howe, who is currently recovering from pneumonia.

This sixth consecutive victory in all competitions has propelled Newcastle five points clear of sixth-placed Chelsea in the Premier League standings. With a top-five finish guaranteeing Champions League qualification, the Magpies are in a strong position.

Crystal Palace, meanwhile, remain in 12th place, with their focus now likely shifting to their FA Cup semi-final clash against Aston Villa later this month.

Newcastle will travel to Villa Park on Saturday for a crucial encounter in the race for European spots. However, the League Cup winners are building momentum and creating a significant gap between themselves and the chasing pack in the pursuit of a top-five finish, buoyed by their recent domestic silverware success.

“That gave us huge confidence,” said Newcastle assistant manager Jason Tindall, who is deputizing for Howe. “We were able to enjoy that for a period of time but we knew what our objectives were for the remainder of the season – to finish as high up the league table as possible. The manager always leads and sets that example of never switching off. They’ve gone out there, been really consistent and delivering performances.”

Alexander Isak had two early opportunities to open the scoring but was initially denied by a good save from Dean Henderson and then headed over the bar.

However, Newcastle’s breakthrough came in the 14th minute when Jacob Murphy unleashed a stunning strike from a tight angle into the roof of the net.

Crystal Palace were presented with a chance to equalize when goalkeeper Nick Pope fouled Chris Richards in the box. However, Eberechi Eze’s tame penalty was easily saved by Pope.

Just moments later, Newcastle doubled their lead when Guehi inadvertently turned Barnes’ cross into his own net.

The woes continued for Palace as Harvey Barnes extended Newcastle’s lead with a well-taken finish, marking his fourth goal in three games. Before the halftime whistle, Fabian Schar headed in Murphy’s free-kick to make it 4-0.

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Isak finally got on the scoresheet in the second half, curling a fine shot into the bottom corner to complete the resounding 5-0 victory for Newcastle.