admin‘I actually think’: Chris Sutton makes bold claim when predicting who will win on Sunday, Newcastle United or Crystal Palace
Newcastle United will be aiming to record consecutive Premier League victories on Sunday when they welcome an out-of-form Crystal Palace to St James’ Park in a 3pm kick-off, live on Sky Sports.
The Eagles could be lifted by the availability of new signing Brennan Johnson, who is in line to make his debut, but the Magpies have the advantage of playing at home and head into the contest on the back of a confidence-boosting 3-1 win.
Eddie Howe’s side may also receive a morale boost with Sven Botman, Kieran Trippier and Tino Livramento all edging closer to a return. While none of the trio are expected to start, their presence around the squad would be a welcome lift.
Despite that, the expectation is for a tight, cautious encounter — similar to the recent victory over Burnley — where Newcastle may need to grind out key moments rather than dominate proceedings from start to finish.
Chris Sutton tips a comfortable Newcastle win
BBC pundit Chris Sutton believes Newcastle will cruise to victory, predicting a one-sided affair.
“Crystal Palace are a team I’ve misjudged a lot lately,” Sutton said. “They’re on a terrible run, with just one point from their last four matches.
“I should have factored in how much they’re missing Ismaila Sarr, who’s away at AFCON with Senegal, because they’ve really lacked attacking threat.
“Brennan Johnson will bring some energy to Palace’s forward line, but I still think Newcastle will run away with this.
“I usually back Newcastle at home to score goals and overpower teams, even though they’ve sometimes struggled to finish games off this season.
“This time, though, I expect them to do everything right. They thrashed Palace 5-0 last season, and I’m predicting another emphatic win.”
Sutton’s prediction: Newcastle 3-0 Crystal Palace
Hoping for a statement win
Toon supporters will be hoping Sutton’s forecast proves accurate. A convincing victory to start the new year would provide optimism that Newcastle can begin to turn their season around.
That said, the priority remains the points. The performance against Burnley was far from perfect, but the win briefly lifted Newcastle into the top half before they slipped back to 13th.
While a dominant display would be ideal and make for a glowing post-match verdict, Newcastle fans will happily take any win on offer at this stage of the campaign.
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