Newcastle United enter their Premier League meeting with Crystal Palace at St James' Park knowing the result could shape their whole campaign, with Eddie Howe viewing January as a key stretch while both clubs sit in mid-table yet remain close to the European places.
Palace arrive for matchday 20 one point ahead of Newcastle in the standings, despite going four league games without victory, while Howe's side halted a poor run by beating Burnley 3-1 on Tuesday after four winless Premier League fixtures, including damaging defeats to Sunderland and Manchester United.
Howe is clear about the importance of the next few weeks for Newcastle's season-long targets. "This is going to be a season-defining month for us, with very minimal rest between games,
Howe said. You look at the month as a whole and it has some great games for ussome really mouthwatering occasionsbut we've got some tough challenges ahead and the start of the month has to be a fruitful one. "
Across January, Newcastle are due to play nine times before February starts. That run includes five Premier League fixtures, an FA Cup third-round tie against Bournemouth, the opening leg of an EFL Cup semi-final versus Manchester City, plus two Champions League matches that will demand heavy squad rotation and careful management of fitness.
In the league, Newcastle sit 13th yet remain only four points behind the top five, so Howe views this stretch as a chance to reset their campaign. "We're in there fighting and scrapping for every point that we can in the Premier League. It's not been plain sailing, but the points gap is minimal so if we can put a run together then things can change quickly. We haven't been able to do it yet, but this is the moment. "
Newcastle have enjoyed the better of recent Premier League meetings with Crystal Palace, losing just once in their last eight clashes, with three wins and four draws in that period, although that single defeat came by a 2-0 scoreline at Selhurst Park in April 2024 when Palace took full advantage on home turf.
History strongly favours Newcastle when this fixture is played at St James' Park. Palace have failed to score on their last four Premier League trips there, taking one draw and three defeats and losing the two most recent visits by a combined margin of 9-0, underlining why Palace are again considered outsiders for this contest.
Newcastle's defence has been especially strong in this pairing on Tyneside. They have kept a clean sheet in each of the last four home league matches against Palace, a run they have only bettered once in their history, when they managed five straight home shutouts versus Coventry City between 1994 and 1998.
Goals have flowed for Newcastle in recent home meetings with Palace as well. The last two Premier League games between the sides at St James' Park ended 4-0 and 5-0 to the Magpies. Newcastle last scored four or more goals in three successive home league matches against the same opponent against Luton Town between 1947 and 1956.
This fixture is expected to be more competitive than those heavy scorelines suggest, with Palace usually difficult to break down under Oliver Glasner, yet Newcastle still enter as favourites on their own ground, backed by strong recent results at St James' Park and a need to gain momentum during a crowded January calendar.
Newcastle's packed programme places extra focus on player contributions. Yoane Wissa scored on his first Premier League start for Newcastle during the midweek win over Burnley, and stretching back to Wissa's time at Brentford, Wissa has produced six goals and two assists across the last eight Premier League starts, highlighting valuable attacking consistency.
For Crystal Palace, Eddie Nketiah remains the central attacking reference away from home but brings a mixed record on the road. Nketiah has scored only once in the last 40 Premier League away appearances, finding the net at Fulham last month, and has not scored north of London since his first league goal for Arsenal at Burnley in May 2019.
Despite that modest run, Glasner continues to praise the mentality in Palace's dressing room after a demanding festive schedule with a relatively small squad. "I think I didn't learn anythingit's just confirmation of what they have shown from day one, it is just an amazing group of players," Glasner said. "They're always sticking together and giving their best. And even when we don't perform on our top level, we always try to win, try to get the points, like it was in all the games. "
Newcastle's home support will also play a part as St James' Park hosts its first match of 2026, with the club already highlighting the occasion.The atmosphere is likely to be intense, given the importance of the month to Howe's plans.Back at SJP for the first time in 2026! pic.twitter.com/AwrsmLyf3JNewcastle United (@NUFC) January 2, 2026
OPTA's model backs Newcastle to capitalise on those factors. The win probabilities for Newcastle United vs Crystal Palace in the Premier League are outlined below.
| Outcome | Win Probability |
|---|---|
| Newcastle United | 51.9% |
| Crystal Palace | 23.6% |
| Draw | 24.5% |
That display reinforced Palace's belief that they can grind out results, even when performances fall below their ideal standard.Oliver Glasner reflects after FulhamCrystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) January 2, 2026
With both teams close in the table yet on different short-term trends, Newcastle United vs Crystal Palace in the Premier League offers a key reference point for their seasons, as Howe targets a strong start to a demanding month and Glasner looks for his squad's resilience to offset a poor recent record at St James' Park.
