Rampant Newcastle punish Palace to move up to third 

Fresh from powering past Manchester United, Magpies find first-half goals to ease past visitors and leapfrog Forest in race for Champions League 

NUMBER FIVE: Newcastle United's Alexander Isak celebrates scoring their side's fifth goal of the game during the Premier League match at St. James' Park, Newcastle upon Tyne. Pic: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire

Newcastle United 5 Crystal Palace 0

Newcastle turned on the style in the absence of head coach Eddie Howe to rout Crystal Palace and ease themselves into third place in the Premier League table.

The Magpies swept the Eagles aside in a game which had promised to be much more taxing as efforts from Jacob Murphy, Harvey Barnes, Fabian Schar and Alexander Isak either side of Marc Guehi's own goal and Nick Pope's penalty save from Eberechi Eze provided the perfect tonic for Howe as he continues his recovery from pneumonia.

A 5-0 victory at St James' Park left Newcastle four points adrift of second-placed Arsenal and five clear of Chelsea in sixth in the race for Champions League football ahead of Saturday's trip to Aston Villa.

Newcastle made early pressure tell with 14 minutes gone when Kieran Trippier fed Murphy and he blasted a rising shot past Henderson at his near post.

Palace were handed a route back into the game when referee Darren England, after being advised to review Pope's challenge on Chris Richards as they challenged for Eze's free-kick, pointed to the spot, but the England midfielder's weak 36th-minute effort from 12 yards was saved easily by the keeper.

To rub salt into the wound, the Magpies went straight down the other end and Tino Livramento played Barnes into space and his cross was turned past Henderson by the unfortunate Guehi.

The home side increased their lead in first-half stoppage time when Tonali's superb reverse pass allowed Barnes to race away and surge past defender Maxence Lacroix before firing past Henderson, and it was 4-0 before the whistle sounded, Schar glancing home from Murphy's cross after Trippier's short free-kick.

Isak added his name to the scoresheet when, after Joelinton had robbed Lacroix, he curled a right-foot shot past the helpless keeper.

Newcastle: Pope, Trippier (Krafth 79), Schar, Burn, Livramento, Guimaraes (Longstaff 72), Tonali, Joelinton (Willock 62), Murphy (Gordon 62), Isak (Wilson 72), Barnes. Subs Not Used: Dubravka, Targett, Osula, Miley. 

Crystal Palace: Henderson, Richards, Lacroix, Guehi, Munoz, Lerma (Devenny 85), Hughes (Wharton 57), Mitchell, Sarr (Esse 76), Eze (Kamada 57), Mateta (Nketiah 56). Subs Not Used: Turner, Franca, Clyne, Chilwell. 

Ref: Darren England (South Yorkshire).

PA