Jean-Philippe Mateta struck twice late on as Crystal Palace staged a dramatic comeback to defeat Newcastle United at Selhurst Park.
Newcastle looked set for a crucial win after William Osula gave them a first-half lead, but their ongoing struggles to hold onto advantages resurfaced as Palace turned the game around in the closing stages.
The hosts had earlier gone close when Jefferson Lerma’s header rattled the crossbar, but their persistence paid off in the 80th minute.
Daniel Munoz surged down the right before Tyrick Mitchell cleverly hooked the ball back across goal for Mateta, who nodded home the equaliser.
The drama continued into stoppage time when Palace were awarded a penalty after Sven Botman was penalised for pulling Lerma’s shirt.
Mateta stepped up and calmly slotted the spot-kick into the bottom corner to complete the turnaround.
The victory lifts Palace above Newcastle into 13th place, leaving Eddie Howe’s side down in 14th after another costly collapse.
Palace manager Oliver Glasner’s substitutions proved decisive, with Mateta, Adam Wharton and Ismaila Sarr all contributing to the late surge.
Mateta, in particular, capped an impressive week with a match-winning display, following his recent European exploits with another standout performance.
His impact highlighted Palace’s growing strength in depth and determination to finish the season strongly.
For Newcastle, it was another frustrating setback.
Despite taking the lead through Osula - making his first league start since August - they once again failed to control the game and protect their advantage.
Howe’s side have now dropped more points from winning positions than any other team in the league this season, underlining a recurring weakness.
With confidence fragile and results inconsistent, Newcastle face an uphill battle to revive their campaign, while pressure continues to mount on their manager.
