Newcastle Triumphs 2-0 Over Crystal Palace: Guimaraes and Thiaw Shine in Eddie Howe's Winning Start to 2026!

BRUNO GUIMARAES gave Newcastle’s Premier League season lift-off as captain fantastic downed stubborn Crystal Palace.

Fresh from the clincher against Burnley, his header broke the deadlock here before Malick Thiaw sealed the 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace after the Brazilian’s corner.

Newcastle emerged winners over Crystal Palace to get the Magpie’s year off to a flyerCredit: PA Bruno Guimaraes opened the scoring for the home side in the second halfCredit: Getty

The result saw the Mags fly up to ninth, while Oliver Glasner’s Eagles slip to 14th as their winless run stretched to seven.

Eddie Howe said it himself on Friday – this was now or never for Newcastle. While they have fared well in the Champions League and have a League Cup semi-final on the horizon, it has been a different story in the Premier League.

Toon’s dire away form has been their Achilles heel, but after the morale-boosting victory at Turf Moor, Howe was banking on fortress St. James’ Park injecting life into their top-flight season.

This was the first of two crunch home league games, where Newcastle are now unbeaten in eleven, and with a further five games to come in all competitions this month, these next few weeks are just the launchpad they need.

Anthony Gordon had certainly adopted a fresh ‘New Year, new me’ approach. But despite ditching his usual tennis-style knot band in favour of a fresh top knot, his woes went on.

It is now 29 Prem games without a goal in open play – a run stretching back to January 15.

And there is even more concern over just the paltry two league assists to his name this season.

Howe, despite the stats, kept faith with the England winger, instead bringing in Jacob Murphy for Harvey Barnes in the only change down the right.

And Gordon almost got his first of 2026 off to a flyer. Charging down the left, he pulled it back for Yoane Wissa, only for the DR Congo star, making his first back-to-back starts in Black and White, to fire right at Dean Henderson.

Palace had avoided a nightmare start. Given their wretched run, an early goal could easily have seen them crumble just like their last visit here, a 5-0 thumping eight months ago.

But that humbling inspired Glasner’s boys to go the rest of last season unbeaten as they went on to claim FA Cup glory.

And their cause here was boosted as the Austrian boss handed £35m club-record buy Brennan Johnson a debut following his arrival from Tottenham. But he blew his big chance late on to equalise after being sent clear by Adam Wharton as he barely had a sniff.

Gordon thought his dismal run was over when Wissa squared for him to tap home, but relief turned to anger as a VAR check spotted the striker had been offside in the build-up.

Henderson had tipped away from Fabian Schar and Lewis Hall as Toon remained on the front foot but it was Palace who should have gone in ahead at the break.

Will Hughes ghosted in but toe-poked past the far post with the last kick of the half.

Alarmingly for the Mags, Wissa had only had six touches. Despite the need to provide him with more ammunition, Howe stuck with it for the start of the second period.

But by the hour mark he had seen enough. Gordon, Hall and Sandro Tonali, just denied an opener by Tyrick Mitchell’s mid-riff made way for Barnes, Tino Livramento and Jacob Ramsey.

And it did not take long for the changes to make an impact. Barnes hooked a cross to the far post, Lewis Miley scooped it back and skipper Guimaraes, who had just hit the bar direct from a corner, beat his marker to head home from six yards.

And soon Glasner was staring another defeat in the face as the Samba star whipped in a corner, Henderson flapped, the ball hitting two Palace defenders before Malick Thiaw stabbed home.

Sub Joe Willock missed a sitter at the death, but there was no wiping the smile off Howe’s face as attention turns to Leeds.