Wolves manager Gary O'Neil has attempted to take the pressure off the players ahead of their weekend match against fellow strugglers Crystal Palace.

O'Neil's side are currently 19th in the Premier League with just two points from their opening nine matches, with Palace four points above them in 17th.

“I know there will be a lot made of the next games, but they’re not must wins,” O’Neil told a pre-match press conference. 

“Crystal Palace are good. They spent £30million on a striker from Arsenal and Eze is pretty good! We need to be ready in every game and we want to win.

“Southampton will also be tough, they keep the ball forever and have a real set way of playing.

Wolves fought back from two goals down to claim a point in a 2-2 draw against Brighton last weekend, having only scored their first after 88 minutes. Their manager was clear on that never-say-die attitude always being present at the club.

“There will be challenges in every game because that’s the level of the Premier League, but we’ll keep going," he said.

“The lads will never stop. We’ll stand up, we’ll keep going and we’ll be fine. 

“The one thing I guarantee we won’t come up short on is fight, passion, togetherness and effort.

“If we come up short on quality sometimes, we work hard to make sure that doesn’t happen, but we definitely won’t come up short on anything else.”

Opposite number Oliver Glasner, meanwhile, has fitness worries over some key players going into this match after both Eberechi Eze and Adam Wharton came off injured against Aston Villa in the EFL Cup in midweek.

While he was positive that Wharton's injury was just the recurrence of an existing issue, he was less sure about Eze.

“I hope that it’s not too serious but I don’t know. It’s not the best information that I got today that Ebs had to leave the pitch," he said.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Wolves - Matheus Cunha

Cunha got Wolves' equaliser against Brighton deep into stoppage time last weekend, bringing him to four for the season so far.

He has scored in 15 Premier League matches for Wolves, but curiously has only ended on the winning side in three of them (D3 L9).

Crystal Palace - Jean-Philippe Mateta

Mateta is Crystal Palace's top scorer this season, having scored three league goals and laid on one assist. In all competitions, meanwhile, he has five goals.

The Frenchman has scored 16 goals in his last 20 Premier League starts for Crystal Palace. Mateta’s 17 Premier League goals in 2024 are the most by a Palace player in a calendar year.

MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW

Both of these teams have made a poor start to the Premier League season, with Wolves second-bottom of the table and Crystal Palace in 17th after nine matches.

The hosts are one of three teams in the division that are yet to have won a league games this season (D2 L7), though did end a six-match losing run with a 2-2 draw away to Brighton last week.

Wolves are the only team who have not picked up a single point at home this season, while their Molineux losing streak goes back five matches to their previous meeting with Crystal Palace (11 May 2024).

Crystal Palace are yet to win on the road in the league (D1 L3), with their last away win incidentally being their 3-1 reversal of Wolves at Molineux.

Oliver Glasner's side did pick up their first win of the season (D3 L5) last weekend, beating Tottenham 1-0 at home to put them on six points after nine matches.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Wolves - 38.6%

Draw - 27%

Crystal Palace - 34.4%

Marcus Rashford is hopeful Manchester United can build on their dominant EFL Cup success over Barnsley when they go to Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday, highlighting the importance of their attackers building positive relationships.

Rashford scored twice as United routed the third-tier side 7-0 at Old Trafford, reaching the fourth round of a competition they won in Ten Hag's first season at the helm in 2022-23.

On Saturday, they return to the scene of one of their most humiliating defeats under the Dutchman, facing a Crystal Palace side that thrashed them 4-0 in May.

Rashford – who also opened his Premier League account for the season in last week's 3-0 victory at Southampton – believes the confidence garnered from United's midweek win could take them far.

"It's important to have those relationships on the pitch but I think as a front unit, linking with the midfield, we did very well," Rashford told Sky Sports.

"Before the first goal, it was a little difficult but after the first one, we found better spaces and we probably made better decisions in order to score."

Asked if the goals would now start to flow for him, Rashford said: "It's early to say but I hope so. We'll move onto the next game now and just rest, recover and focus on the next one.

"Football is football, sometimes you have ups and sometimes you have downs. We have to use these games to find momentum and find consistency."

Palace, meanwhile, are 16th in the table with two points from four matches, though they did earn a 2-1 EFL Cup win at Queens Park Rangers on Tuesday.

Having netted on his return to his former club, attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze said: "Of course, to come back here and to score is a great feeling.

"That was the main thing as to what we wanted to come here and do: win, go through to the next round, and put in a performance.

"It's a difficult place to come. You can see the atmosphere, it's not easy to play under, but we did what we needed to do, and that's the most important thing."

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

Crystal Palace – Jean-Philippe Mateta

Since Glasner's first game in charge in February, only Erling Haaland (19) has scored more Premier League goals than Mateta (15 in 17 games), including a goal in May's 4-0 rout of the Red Devils.

In that time, he has also scored multiple goals on four occasions (three braces, one hat-trick) – only Wilfried Zaha has ever scored more than once in more different Premier League games for the Eagles (six braces).

Manchester United – Bruno Fernandes

United captain Fernandes has had more shots without scoring than any other player in the Premier League so far this season (13).

Overall, United have the third-highest expected goals total in the Premier League this term (7.9 xG) but have scored five goals, with only Southampton (4.6 xG, one goal) registering a worse underperformance. They will hope Fernandes can lead from the front here.

MATCH PREDICTION – DRAW

Glasner's Palace beat United 4-0 in the Premier League last season – only eight managers have ever won their first two games against the Red Devils in the competition, most recently Roberto De Zerbi with Brighton in September 2023.

That victory was part of a Premier League double by the Eagles, the first time they have ever beaten United in consecutive league matches.

United have now lost two of their last three away league games against Palace (one draw), having gone unbeaten through their previous 13 such visits to Selhurst Park, winning nine and drawing four.

The Red Devils have struggled in London more generally under Ten Hag, only winning two of their last 16 away Premier League games in the capital (four draws, 10 defeats), with both victories coming at Fulham (2-1 in November 2022, 1-0 in November 2023).

With Palace winless in the Premier League so far this season (two draws, two defeats) after ending 2023-24 with six victories in their final seven games (one draw), it may not be a surprise to see the spoils shared.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY 

Crystal Palace – 35.9%

Manchester United – 39.1%

Draw – 25%

Jean-Philippe Mateta's brace, including a stoppage-time penalty, denied Leicester City their first win since returning to the Premier League as Crystal Palace came from behind to draw 2-2.

Jamie Vardy gave the Foxes a first-half lead with a neat finish and just seconds after the restart, Stephy Mavididi capitalised on some poor defending to double the away side's advantage.

Mateta dragged Palace back into the match with his first goal moments later, but Leicester looked set to hang on despite being put under heavy pressure in the second half.

However, Conor Coady fouled Ismaila Sarr in the box and Mateta coolly dispatched his penalty kick to deny Steve Cooper a first league victory as Leicester manager.

Both sides are still searching for their first win after the four opening matches, with Leicester 15th and Palace 16th in the table.

Data Debrief: Foxes continue wretched run in London

After being denied victory in injury time, Leicester have now won just two of their 17 Premier League games in London (D4 L11), conceding 42 goals during that run.

Wilfried Ndidi performed well for Leicester in a more advanced role, and registered two assists. He is now up to three for the season, more than any of his team-mates.

Thierry Henry was delighted to guarantee France a first Olympic medal in the men's football since 1984 after their comeback victory over 10-man Egypt. 

Les Bleus were minutes away from a semi-final exit against the Pharaohs until Jean-Philippe Mateta's 83rd minute equaliser. 

Mateta would grab his fourth of the tournament in the ninth minute of extra-time, with former Crystal Palace teammate Michael Olise confirming the 3-1 win soon after.

Henry had been preparing for this event since taking over in August 2023 and felt the weight of responsibility, having seen his nation perform brilliantly in other events as the hosts.

“I’m living a dream. I don’t want to wake up," Henry said.

"I’ll be honest with you, what’s nice is for Team France because when you see everyone winning medals here and there, you think it’s up to us not to let the guys down.”

Henry endured a torrid time in charge of Monaco over five years ago, winning five of his 20 games in charge (D4, L11), but has since rebuilt his career. 

Firstly, in the MLS with Montreal Impact, leading Montreal to their first playoff berth in four seasons, before returning for a second stint with the Belgium national side as an assistant manager. 

This tournament has seen Henry possibly stake a claim for the France job further down the line, with Didier Deschamps’ contract expiring after the 2026 World Cup. 

However, Philippe Diallo, president of the French Football Federation, did not want to entertain the idea just yet.

Diallo told RMC: “Let’s not rush things. Thierry Henry, when I appointed him to the position, there were some who had doubts given what he had done previously. I had confidence in him and he is proving it.”

France will play Spain at the Parc des Princes on Friday in the showpiece final.

France set up a quarter-final meeting with Argentina at the Paris Olympics after topping Group A with a comfortable 3-0 win over New Zealand in Marseille. 

Thierry Henry's side remain the only side in the tournament to win all of their games so far, and made light work of their opponents on Tuesday. 

Jean-Philippe Mateta, who captained the side with Alexandre Lacazette on the bench, started off the scoring after the ball bundled its way into his path before finishing beyond Alex Paulsen in the 19th minute. 

In a game that saw Les Bleus accumulate 34 shots at the Orange Velodrome, their dominance was rewarded with two quickfire goals late on. 

Desire Doue would double the hosts' advantage from close range, with Arnaud Kalimuendo rounding off the scoring three minutes later to see France remain perfect. 

France's triumph saw them win their first three games at the Games for the first time in their history, while also keeping three clean sheets on the spin for the first time at the Olympics. 

In the other Group A encounter, the United States qualified for the knockout stages of the tournament for the first time since 2000 as they eased to a 3-0 win over Guinea.

A rampant start to the encounter saw Djordje Mihailovic and Kevin Paredes have Marko Mitrovic's two goals to the good just after the half-hour mark. 

Despite finishing the encounter with just 37.8% possession, the United States were clinical in the final third as Paredes put the game beyond doubt in the 75th minute. 

They return to action this Friday when they face Group B winners Morocco, who clinched top spot with a 3-0 win over Iraq while also finishing ahead of Argentina. 

Kiliann Sildillia's second-half goal helped France continue their perfect start to the Olympic Games as they booked a place in the quarter-finals with a game to spare.

Les Bleus made it two wins from two thanks to the right-back's header, though they rode their luck against a spirited Guinea side, who had two first-half goals disallowed.

Amadou Diawara forced Guillaume Restes into a superb fingertip save just minutes into the tie before Jean-Philippe Mateta wasted a hat-trick of chances to put the hosts ahead.

A cheeky backheel dribbled wide, and a thumping header missed the target on either side of Soumaila Sylla's smothering save.

Naby Keita clinically picked out the bottom corner from an offside position just before half-time, with Abdoulaye Toure also seeing a goal ruled out moments later after meeting a free-kick.

France came to life in the second half and gave a warning sign when Loic Bade struck the post from a tight angle.

In the end, Sildillia proved the difference as he was left unmarked to meet Michael Olise's cross, and Sylla could not get to his thumping header.

France are through to the next round, and top Group A with six points, while Guinea sit bottom of the group having lost both of their matches so far.

Data Debrief: Les Bleus leave it late

For much of the first half in this game, France were sluggish and could have easily gone into half-time 2-0 down if it was not for two tight offside calls. 

In the end, Thierry Henry's side showed their quality, with Olise proving the key man. He created six chances, more than anyone else on the pitch, with one of those resulting in an assist.

It is the first time France have reached the quarter-finals at the Olympics since 1996, as they looked to end a 40-year wait for a gold medal in the event.

Alexandre Lacazette is confident France can secure a second gold medal ahead of their first game at the Paris Olympics next week. 

France last triumphed in the competition at the 1984 games in Los Angeles, failing to reach the knockout stages at the Tokyo Olympics back in 2020. 

But under the guidance of Thierry Henry, who scored 51 goals for Les Bleus during his international career, the French are among the favourites to scoop the top honour.

Henry's side have won two of their three pre-tournament friendlies this month, the latest result ending in a 1-1 draw with Japan, who won bronze in the 1968 games. 

Lacazette was named by Henry as the nation's captain ahead of the competition, and will lead Les Bleus' star-studded line-up out against the United States in Marseille on Wednesday. 

Jean-Philippe Mateta, Michael Olise, Rayan Cherki and Manu Kone are just some of the names at Henry's disposal. 

Having not featured for Didier Deschamps' side since 2017, Lacazette explained that the squad are in unison of achieving gold at their home games. 

"We all have the same ambition, to go all the way and win a medal," the 33-year-old said. "The fact that it’s a home games is really going to motivate us."

Henry has lost just two of his 11 games in charge of France's U21 and U23 sides (W7, D2) since being appointed back in August 2023. 

Former Arsenal forward Lacazette said Henry wanted the team to play an attacking, possession-based style of football heading into the tournament.

"Tactically, he is decidedly forward-thinking... he especially wants us to enjoy ourselves and put on a show for the spectators,” Lacazette said.

Following their Group A opener against the United States, France will play Guinea and New Zealand. 

Wolves boss Gary O'Neil says there is a "lot of work to be done" at Molineux ahead of next season, after their downturn continued with a 3-1 loss to Crystal Palace on Saturday.  

Michael Olise, Jean-Philippe Mateta and Eberechi Eze were on target as Wolves were beaten in their final home game of the campaign, with the in-form Eagles making it five wins in six matches.  

Wolves have won just one of their last 10 games in all competitions (two draws, seven defeats), a run which began with a dramatic FA Cup quarter-final collapse against Coventry City in March.

After beating Fulham 2-1 on March 9, O'Neil's team sat eighth in the Premier League table, just one point adrift of the top seven.

However, injuries to key attackers Pedro Neto, Hwang Hee-chan and Matheus Cunha stunted their momentum and a once-promising campaign will now fizzle out to a bottom-half finish.

O'Neil has previously said Wolves will not be able to spend big in the transfer market ahead of 2024-25, but he knows they need to strengthen. 

"There's lots that we have to improve," he said. "In the first two thirds of the season we looked like a team chasing Europe, and in the last third of the season you could see the issues that we've had and those have come to light. 

"As a football club, we need to have a real good look at the last few weeks.

"People are starting to come back, and we still haven't managed to regain that impetus and momentum that we had before. 

"There's a lot of work to be done between now and the start of next season, and a tough away game next week at Anfield."

Wolves go to Liverpool for their last game of the season next week, as the Reds' final opponents under departing boss Jurgen Klopp.

Crystal Palace continued their impressive form as goals from Michael Olise, Jean-Philippe Mateta and Eberechi Eze gave the Eagles a 3-1 victory over Wolves at Molineux. 

Olise broke the deadlock with a curling strike after 26 minutes before Mateta grabbed a second just three minutes later to set Palace on the route to victory. 

Matheus Cunha pulled a goal back for the hosts, but Eze restored their two-goal cushion with 17 minutes remaining, and they hung on despite Naouirou Ahamada receiving a second yellow card late on.

Wolves drop to 13th with defeat as Palace leapfrog them on goal difference into 12th position in the Premier League table, having enjoyed a resurgence under new boss Oliver Glasner.

With both sides tucked safely in mid-table, it was – perhaps unsurprisingly – something of a slow burner at Molineux.

Max Kilman headed over for Wolves early on, before Mateta intercepted a pass and slid in Eze for a shot on goal, which he could not direct on target.

Olise spurned another good opportunity when he shot wide at the back post from Mateta's cross, but he then opened the scoring with a delightful left-footed curling strike, which was perfectly placed beyond the stretching arm of Dan Bentley.

The in-form Mateta then swiftly doubled Palace's advantage with a close-range finish after Nathaniel Clyne had struck the post following excellent work from Olise.

Wolves nearly responded before half-time when Matt Doherty rattled the crossbar with a header from Rayan Ait-Nouri’s cross, then Cunha forced Dean Henderson into a smart save after the interval.

Cunha managed to halve the deficit with 66 minutes played, however, firing into the roof of the net with a VAR check awarding the goal after Hwang Hee-chan was flagged offside.  

Clyne then made an important interception to deny Hwang an almost certain goal before Olise split the Wolves defence to find Eze, who rounded the goalkeeper and tapped in Palace's third. 

They held on despite Ahamanda being sent off late on, receiving his second booking for a rash lunge on Cunha. Referee Thomas Bramall originally pointed to the penalty spot but after a VAR review, the decision was overturned and a free-kick awarded outside the area.

Wolves lack solid foundations

After a positive first half of the season which saw them on the cusp of a potential European place, Wolves’ final home match of the season ended in defeat and Gary O’Neil’s side are now destined to finish in the bottom half of the table. 

Their recent slide has seen them win just once in their last nine matches.

Wolves' defence has let them down lately – only Sheffield United, Luton Town and West Ham have conceded more goals in their last 15 Premier League games – but losing Jose Sa in the build-up to illness did not help here. 

Bentley though could do little to stop any of the Palace goals as the game quickly got away from Wolves in the first half.

Eagles continue to fly

Glasner will be delighted that his side could follow up Monday's 4-0 thrashing of Manchester United with just a second away victory in 13 matches. 

Palace extend their unbeaten run to six games, with the front three of Olise, Mateta and Eze once again excellent and at the forefront of this win. 

A victory on the final day at home to Aston Villa could reward the Eagles with a top-half finish after a campaign which threatened to see them in a relegation scrap. 

The only downside to this win was a first-half injury to Will Hughes, which Glasner will be hoping is nothing serious. 

Crystal Palace defender Daniel Munoz believes the Eagles are beginning to hit the levels they expected to reach under new boss Oliver Glasner, as they look to continue their strong form against Wolves on Saturday.

Palace are one of the form teams in the Premier League, with Monday's 4-0 rout of Manchester United making it four wins and one draw from their last five matches. 

Michael Olise netted twice as Palace demolished the Red Devils at Selhurst Park, recording their biggest league win over United since they managed a 5-0 success back in December 1972.

Palace can leapfrog Fulham and Wolves into 12th in the table with a victory on Saturday, and right-back Munoz says confidence is high within the squad.

"It was a very special win for all of us. Everyone is happy – the players, the fans, our families," Munoz said, reflecting on Monday's game.

"It was a great game. The team is getting to the level we all want and that is reflected on the pitch.

"I think the dressing room has started to believe. I think you can feel that belief from the new coach."

While Palace are ending a middling campaign on a high, Wolves have seen a fine season fizzle out somewhat, their European hopes fading amid a spate of injuries to key attackers.

Gary O'Neil's side will likely need to beat Palace to keep hopes of a top-half finish alive, and star forward Matheus Cunha says a strong finish will also help to build momentum for 2024-25.    

"I think six points would be very important," Cunha said, looking ahead to Wolves' final two games.

"It's hard, we play Liverpool and an important game against Crystal Palace at home – we have around the same points, so we need to play and get three points and keep focused.

"We've done an unbelievable season, but we cannot finish with a bad feeling. We need to win to make it feel like a good season and keep going for the next one."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Wolves – Hwang Hee-chan

Following goals against Luton Town and Manchester City in his last two games, Hwang is looking to score in three consecutive Premier League matches for the first time. 

He has 12 goals overall this season, with only Raul Jimenez netting more in a single Premier League campaign for Wolves (13 in 2018-19, 17 in 2019-20).

Crystal Palace – Jean-Philippe Mateta

Since Glasner's first Premier League game in charge of Palace on February 24, only Cole Palmer (11) and Alexander Isak (10) have scored more goals in the competition than Mateta (nine). 

He has scored six goals in his last six league appearances, and with Olise and Eberechi Eze providing him with service, he should get plenty of chances at Molineux. 

MATCH PREDICTION – DRAW 

Wolves have lost five of their last six Premier League games against Palace, including a 3-2 defeat at Selhurst Park in September's reverse fixture. However, the one exception was a 2-0 win in this exact fixture last campaign.

Palace have won 55 per cent of their Premier League games against Wolves (6/11), only managing a better ratio against Stoke City (70 per cent, 7/10) among teams they have faced at least 10 times in the competition.

However, with little to play for, it would be no surprise to see the spoils shared at Molineux; Wolves have not won their final home league game in any of the last three seasons (two draws, one defeat), having done so in six of their previous seven campaigns.

The Eagles, meanwhile, have not won their final away league game in any of the last four seasons, drawing one and losing three since triumphing 3-2 at Cardiff City in 2019.

Only bottom club Sheffield United (16) have scored fewer away goals in the Premier League than Palace (17) this season, so a repeat of Monday's free-flowing display may not be on the cards.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Wolves – 36.9%

Crystal Palace 33.1%

Draw – 30% 

Christian Eriksen believes Manchester United's players must take the blame after their miserable season hit a new low with Monday's 4-0 defeat to Crystal Palace.

Erik ten Hag's injury-hit Red Devils were torn apart by Palace as Michael Olise scored a wonderful brace and was joined on the scoresheet by Jean-Philippe Mateta and Tyrick Mitchell.

United's 13th loss of the Premier League season – their most in a league campaign since 1989-90 (16) – leaves them eighth in the table and facing an uphill battle to qualify for Europe.

They have now conceded 81 goals across all competitions this season, their most in a single campaign since they shipped the same number in 1976-77.

While the manner of the defeat will only raise further questions about Ten Hag's future at Old Trafford, Eriksen says the players are primarily responsible.  

"It's a big disappointment. We just had an off-day, and we weren't in it," the midfielder told BBC Sport.

"It is what it is. We can't really change the injury things. We have to do what we can on the pitch to change it. Today it didn't matter who we played, everyone could have done better.

"I don't know what the conclusion is for how it went. We weren't good enough. We tried to do what we could but we were not good enough. We'll take the blame as players."

Since the start of last season, only Nottingham Forest (five) have lost more away Premier League games by a margin of four or more goals than United (three), with the Red Devils also going down 4-0 at Brentford and 7-0 at Liverpool last term.

They now trail sixth-placed Newcastle United by two points and are behind seventh-placed Chelsea on goal difference, with fixtures against Arsenal, Brighton and Hove Albion and Newcastle to come this season. 

Eddie Howe admitted Newcastle United's performance in the 2-0 loss at Crystal Palace on Wednesday was "way off" the one that saw them thump Tottenham in their previous game.

Howe's men hammered Spurs 4-0 in their last match, but they never got close to matching the attacking verve from that outing and a Jean-Philippe Mateta double condemned the Magpies to defeat at Selhurst Park.

Newcastle didn't even manage a shot on target until the 87th minute, accumulating just 0.42 xG (expected goals) as the likes of Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon struggled to make an impact.

Only against Manchester City in August (one) have Newcastle recorded fewer shots on target in a Premier League game this season than their two against Palace, and Howe was critical of his team's display in the loss, one that all but ends their hopes of finishing in the top four.

"[It is a] bad day for us," Howe told Newcastle's club media.

"I thought we were disappointing today, especially in the first 60 minutes. We were way off our levels against Tottenham and our best levels.

"I thought technically we didn't deliver a good performance, and out of possession I don't think it was a particularly good performance either."

Newcastle were unlocked twice for Mateta to score by a Palace side who themselves only generated 0.88 xG.

Howe was left frustrated by the manner in which his side conceded, adding: "I think we'll be disappointed with our performance technically today, and that's probably epitomised by the two goals where we're disappointed with how we've given them the ball in those situations and then how we defended.

"I think the goals sum up aspects of our performance where there was some good, lots of moments that could have led to opportunities, but we were slow to shoot around the box," he said.

The defeat, combined with Manchester United's 4-2 win over Sheffield United, means Newcastle drop to seventh, while eighth-placed West Ham are two points behind with a game in hand.

Newcastle have now lost eight of their last 11 Premier League away games, while they have lost on four occasions in London in the league this term, only doing so more times in a Premier League season in 2000-01 and 2005-06 (both five).

It's been a disappointing season for Howe and his side, especially compared to the heroics of last term when Newcastle finished in the top four, and the Magpies boss knows there's work to be done to get back to those levels.

"It's a day that we have to take our punishment, deal with it, and then try and improve," Howe continued. "It's frustrating because we know we're capable of much better."

Crystal Palace made it three straight Premier League wins as a Jean-Philippe Mateta double earned them a 2-0 win over Newcastle United at Selhurst Park.

Palace had not scored in their last four Premier League matches against Newcastle before Wednesday's game, and it looked like the Magpies could stifle them again.

But after the hosts failed to break the deadlock in a Palace-dominated first half, a neat one-two with Jordan Ayew allowed Mateta to lash the Eagles in front before he added another late on to make sure of the three points.

Oliver Glasner's impressive start as Palace head coach continues with the Eagles' safety from relegation now mathematically confirmed in 14th, while Eddie Howe's side drop below Manchester United into seventh place.

Eberechi Eze nearly put Palace ahead after 12 minutes when he jinked onto his right foot and fired just wide, while Mateta nodded narrowly over as the hosts edged the opening exchanges.

Ayew sent an ambitious long-range effort past the post, while Palace shouts for a penalty fell on deaf ears when Eze took a tumble in the box.

Neither side could find the opener in the first half, but the hosts made their threat pay 10 minutes after the restart as Mateta latched onto Ayew's neat first-time pass before firing into the back of the net.

Mateta nodded straight at Martin Dubravka, while Will Hughes curled just over with Newcastle forced to cling on for long periods of the second half.

Palace survived a scare of their own when Hughes' tug on Sean Longstaff in the Eagles' box went unpunished, before Mateta made the points safe with two minutes left when he drilled through the legs of Dubravka to secure the hosts' survival.

Mateta on fire

Mateta's goalscoring record since arriving at Palace from Mainz has not always been impressive, but he is certainly in the groove at the moment in front of goal.

The forward has now scored eight Premier League goals in nine games under Glasner, who only arrived in February. That is more than he managed under both Roy Hodgson (five in 35 games) and Patrick Vieira (six in 44).

This is by far Mateta’s best scoring run in an Eagles shirt, and his all-round performance was impressive too, leading Palace to victory.

Newcastle never get going

Having hammered top-four chasing Tottenham 4-0 last time out, Newcastle looked a shell of that team in South London, failing to test Dean Henderson between the Palace sticks until the 86th minute.

Any slender hopes of repeating last season's heroics of finishing in the Champions League spots are surely over after their fourth defeat in six Premier League games in London this season.

Newcastle star man Alexander Isak was barely involved, recording only one shot and accumulating just 0.06 xG (expected goals) as Palace successfully kept the Sweden international quiet.

Pep Guardiola is unsure about whether to restore Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne to his Manchester City line-up at Crystal Palace on Saturday with Real Madrid looming next week.

The pair were unused substitutes in midweek as City stayed three points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool by brushing aside Aston Villa 4-1, with Phil Foden bagging a sensational hat-trick.

But as a visit to Palace at lunchtime on Saturday is followed by a mouthwatering trip to the Spanish capital to face Real on Tuesday in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final, this season’s leading goal-scorer Haaland and key playmaker De Bruyne might be kept on ice once again this weekend.

“I don’t know yet,” Guardiola said, when asked about the prospect of Haaland and De Bruyne returning to face Palace. “Playing at 12:30pm and playing two days ago, I have to think. There are so many games.

“We play less than two and a half days after our last game. Some players recover quicker than others. A long week is completely different but a short week, you have to talk with doctors, physios and staff.

“We are used to playing every three days over many months and months. For many, many years it has happened that way.

“We play 12:30pm, it’s perfect. More time to recover for the next game in Madrid. We then play on Saturday against Chelsea in the FA Cup afterwards, it’s not fair but we are going to do it.

“We take one game at a time and don’t give up. We are not new to European competitions so the players know how to handle it, not all the time but most of the time.”

City, who could welcome back goalkeeper Ederson at Selhurst Park but are still without defenders Kyle Walker and Nathan Ake, have dropped just six points in an unbeaten 13-match league run.

But with both Liverpool and Arsenal ahead of them, Guardiola reiterated that all City can do to keep alive hopes of a fourth successive league crown is win all of their eight remaining fixtures.

“I hope so but it doesn’t solve the problem if we don’t do our job,” Guardiola said after being asked about whether he expects their title rivals to drop points.

“If we were at the top of the league it would be in our hands, that’s not the case, so what we have to do is win our games. I hope it happens but we cannot control it.

“The quality of the opponent is why we have to keep going and at the end we will realise which team is there.”

Guardiola, who said he had “no opinion” on rumours of a luxury tax being imposed on Premier League clubs to help regulate on overspending, admitted he is wary of upcoming opponents Palace.

The Eagles have taken points in six of their last 12 meetings with City, winning in December 2018 and October 2021 along with four draws – most recently coming from 2-0 down in December with goals from Jean-Philippe Mateta and Michael Olise.

“They’ve always been tough,” he added. “I think (manager Oliver) Glasner is doing a really good job.

“The quality is there with (Eberechi) Eze, (Jordan) Ayew and Mateta. They have good structure, strong defensively with (Joachim) Andersen leading the back five, the physicality is always there. Selhurst Park is always difficult.”

Nuno Espirito Santo has told his Nottingham Forest players they must keep building after the 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace moved them out of the relegation zone.

Chris Wood’s 61st-minute equaliser cancelled out Jean-Philippe Mateta’s early goal for Palace and saw Forest move level with Luton on goal difference.

It was Forest’s first match since the Premier League docked them four points for breaching financial rules, plunging them into the bottom three.

Forest were flat for much of the first half but Palace failed to build on Mateta’s early strike, much to the frustration of Oliver Glasner, and in the final 20 minutes both sides had chances to win it.

“I think we did enough in the game to achieve another result but the game was not easy and it started bad for us,” Nuno said.

“When you have the expectations of ‘let’s go’ and you concede first, the team shakes and it was not what we wanted.

“But, overall, I think we were dominant and were in control. We had good moments. We produced a better second half – more pace and we were more aggressive.

“It is not easy to play against Crystal Palace because of the shape they have – the spaces, the gaps and the pockets are not there.

“Once again the team showed character. We are out of the relegation zone and we want to capitalise on this for the next one because we definitely need to climb up the table.”

Forest have launched an appeal against their punishment and before the game fans in the Trent End unveiled a banner which read ‘We shall fight and we shall overcome’.

But tension grew in the stands after Forest fell behind and it was not until the second half that the home side found their rhythm.

“It is very tight,” Nuno said of the relegation fight. “There are some teams still involved in that fight. We have to focus on ourselves.

“This point is good as long as we do something against Fulham (at home on Tuesday) and it’s going to be tough.”

Palace had looked ready to capitalise on Forest’s predicament as Mateta scored with their first real opportunity and Eberechi Eze had opportunities to add to the lead before the break.

They also hit a post in the 87th minute when Eze’s corner deflected off Neco Williams but they could not secure three points that would have all-but assured them of safety.

“It feels like two lost points,” Glasner said. “We had enough chances and we created them brilliantly in different situations, compliments to my staff, the set=pieces were brilliant and always dangerous.

“In some phases of the game we were under pressure and they have the quality to score a goal.

“We know Wood is a fantastic player in the box and in this situation we did not get enough pressure on the ball and we had some phases where we were not confident enough on the ball.

“The first (thing) is always to create chances. It’s not too easy here…they’re very good at home and creating so many chances gives me a lot of confidence for the next weeks and the players did fight until the end of the game.

“At the end what counts is the result. We have to accept it and respect it and I was told a point away from home in the Premier League is good so we have to accept it.”