Crystal Palace 5-1 Newcastle: Alan Pardew wins against former side

Crystal Palace came from behind to hammer Newcastle 5-1 as Alan Pardew came out on top against his former side.

Papiss Cisse put Newcastle in front, but a deflected effort from James McArthur levelled the game for Palace then Yannick Bolasie and Wilfried Zaha put them in charge before half-time. 

Bolasie then struck again just after the break, before McArthur added his second with the last kick of the game to pile the pressure on Newcastle boss Steve McClaren, whose side dropped into the relegation zone.

Palace started stronger but Newcastle took the lead after 10 minutes. Right-back Daryl Janmaat skipped past Jason Puncheon, cut inside and dinked a ball into the path of Cisse in the box, who peeled away from the Palace centre-backs to head home in acres of space. 

Cisse had a decent effort almost immediately to double their lead, but it was Palace who struck the next blow just four minutes later. 

Wickham did well to find McArthur on the edge of the area, and the midfielder's effort took an almighty deflection off Paul Dummett before it span away from helpless Magpies goalkeeper Rob Elliot, who had dived the other way, and into the net.

Palace were looking a threat every time they went forward and, three minutes after they had levelled, Pardew's side were in front.

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Wickham again was at the heart of it, getting down the right before cutting the ball back into the path of Zaha. The winger failed to control it properly but it slipped into the path of Bolasie, who fired in from 10 yards.

Palace were rampant, counter-attacking fiercely as their trio of Puncheon, Bolasie and Zaha constantly switched back and forth to cause all kinds of problems for Newcastle, and four minutes before the break they had their third through Zaha.

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Wickham, excellent all half after a disappointing display against Sunderland on Monday night, got to the byline again before lifting one into the box for Zaha, who slammed his effort into the ground before it bounced up and into the top corner of Elliot's goal. 

It was a terrific overall display from the former Manchester United man, which was only tainted by some theatrics a few moments before his goal that saw him booked for simulation as he tried to win a penalty.

Newcastle made a change at the break, throwing on the defensive-minded Jamaal Lascelles for the ineffective Ayoze Perez, but it failed to pay dividends as they conceded again within two minutes of the restart.

Yohan Cabaye, playing against his former side for the first time, pinged a free-kick into the path of Damien Delaney, who headed back across goal into the path of Bolasie, and he made no mistake in finishing past Elliot for his second of the afternoon.

Newcastle were utterly deflated and the rest of the match was largely a procession for Palace, who looked like scoring pretty much every time they went forward.

They finally got their fifth in the 93rd minute after Bolasie again got to the byline before crossing into Newcastle's box. The away side tried to clear, but they could only get it as far as McArthur, who slammed home his second as Palace went sixth in the Premier League table.

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Soccer Saturday verdict - Charlie Nicholas

"I don't think McClaren can [survive this] because we know the Newcastle fans have been in turmoil under Mike Ashley - the owner. 

His comments at the end of last season when he said 'I will not leave this club until we're in a successful business position' - what success? At the moment it would be survival.

We're talking about a seriously successful businessman. Alan Pardew could not wait to get out of the club because the writing was on the wall. The Newcastle fans won't let go because they have to support their team."

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Player ratings

Crystal Palace

Hennessey (6), Ward (6), Dann (6), Delaney (7), Souare (7), McArthur (8), Cabaye (7), Zaha (8), Puncheon (7), Bolasie (9), Wickham (8)

Subs: Jedinak (5), Lee (5), Bamford (5)

Newcastle

Elliot (4), Janmaat (4), Mbemba (3), Coloccini (3), Dummett (3), Colback (4), Anita (3), Sissoko (3), Wijnaldum (3), Perez (3), Cisse (5)

Subs: Lascelles (4), Gouffran (4), De Jong (4)

Man of the match: Yannick Bolasie

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