Newcastle v Crystal Palace LIVE commentary: Tonali to play despite betting storm as Magpies bid to extend unbeaten run
Newcastle will look to pick up where they left off when they return to action against Crystal Palace this weekend, live on talkSPORT.
The Magpies were the form team in the Premier League ahead of the international break and are looking to extend their unbeaten run in all competitions to eight matches.
During that run, Eddie Howe's side dumped Manchester City out of the Carabao Cup before securing an incredible 4-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
But Newcastle struggled against Palace last season, having played out three goalless draws during their meetings across the league and cup.
Palace are a point and a place behind the Toon and drew 0-0mwith Nottingham Forest last time out.
Newcastle vs Crystal Palace: talkSPORT coverage
This Premier League clash will take place on Saturday, October 21.
Kick-off at St James' Park is scheduled for 3pm.
This game is not available to watch on UK TV due to the blackout rule but talkSPORT 2 will have exclusive live coverage from Tyneside.
To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 through the website, click HERE for the live stream.
ou can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.
Newcastle vs Crystal Palace: Team news
The hosts are expected to be without Joe Willock or Harvey Barnes through injury.
But influential trio Joelinton, Alexander Isak and Sven Botman are all hopeful of playing some part after sustaining more minor issues.
talkSPORT's football correspondent Alex Crook also revealed that Sandro Tonali is still set to be eligible for selection.
Tonali was sent home from international duty with Italy along with Aston Villa's Nicolo Zaniolo amid allegations of illegal betting.
Palace also have a number of doubts, with star attacking duo Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise both out with hamstring injuries.
Cheick Doucoure and Jefferson Lerma will also face late fitness tests.
Newcastle vs Crystal Palace: What has been said?
Tonali's agent has suggested the Newcastle star is battling a gambling addiction.
Tonali's agent, Giuseppe Riso, speaking at an event at the Italian embassy said: "He is playing his most important game - against betting addiction.
"He’s in shock, he’s very sad. He has to face this situation. He is training at the moment (at Newcastle). He told me he trained very well. He can play Saturday.”
- Crystal Palace have conceded 18 goals while facing 64 shots on target in the Premier League since Roy Hodgson returned as manager in April. Among sides to have participated in the competition in 2022-23 and 2023-24, only Manchester City have conceded fewer goals (14), and only Man City (50) and Arsenal (63) have faced fewer shots on target in this time.
- Newcastle are eighth in the Premier League table with 13 points, but based on Opta’s expected points model, their expected points total based on game-by-game expected goals is 16.4; this is the second-highest expected points total in the competition this season, after Manchester City (16.6).
- No team has kept more clean sheets in the Premier League this season than Crystal Palace (4). The Eagles have kept a shutout in their last three league games, last recording four in a row from February-June 2020 – a run which included a 1-0 win over Newcastle.
- Newcastle have conceded 17 goals in home matches since the start of last season in the Premier League, the joint-fewest of any non-promoted team, along with Manchester United. The Magpies have kept a clean sheet in consecutive league games at St. James’ Park.
- All three meetings between Crystal Palace and Newcastle in all competitions last season ended 0-0. It's Newcastle's longest run of goalless draws against an opponent, while only against Cardiff have the Eagles had a longer such run (4 between 1947 and 1965).
- After winning three of five Premier League meetings with Newcastle between February 2019 and April 2021 (L2), Crystal Palace are winless in four against the Magpies (D3 L1), failing to score in each of the last three.
- The last four Premier League meetings between Newcastle and Crystal Palace have seen just three goals scored (2 for Newcastle, 1 for Palace), with both games last term finishing 0-0.
- Newcastle’s Kieran Trippier has created 89 chances from set plays in the Premier League since the start of last season, 28 more than any other player in Europe’s big-five leagues. Eight of those chances have resulted in assists, the joint-most of any player from those aforementioned leagues, along with Monaco’s Caoi Henrique.
- Alexander Isak has scored in each of his last three appearances for Newcastle in the Premier League – the only Swedish player to score in four games in a row in the competition is Fredrik Ljungberg for Arsenal in April 2002 (5).
- Crystal Palace have made 16 substitutions in the Premier League this season, eight fewer than any other side, while never using more than three in a single game. The last teams to make fewer substitutions at this stage of a Premier League campaign were Burnley (14) and Aston Villa (15) in 2020-21.
