Newcastle United will be looking to make it five Premier League games unbeaten when they travel to face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park this evening.
Eddie Howe's side produced a sensational display against Tottenham Hotspur at St James' Park last time out, with the Magpies defeating Ange Postecoglou's men 4-0.
Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon and Fabian Schar all found themselves on the scoresheet, as the Magpies look to close the gap on the European places between now and the end of the campaign.
However, they will face a tough test in London tonight, with Oliver Glasner's side winning their last two outings, including a 1-0 victory at Anfield against Jürgen Klopp's Liverpool.
Unsurprisingly, very few changes will be made from the convincing victory over Spurs last weekend, but Howe must recall one Newcastle player to give himself the best chance of claiming all three points.
21/10/2023
St James' Park
4-0 (W)
21/01/2023
Selhurst Park
0-0 (D)
03/09/2022
St James' Park
0-0 (D)
20/04/2022
St James' Park
1-0 (W)
23/10/2021
Selhurst Park
1-1 (D)
The man to make way against Palace
Despite being part of a backline that kept a clean sheet against Spurs, Howe must replace Emil Krafth for the trip to Selhurst Park this evening.
The Swedish defender completed 14 passes at a completion rate of 70%, whilst also winning two of his five duels that he contested.
Krafth was also awarded a 7/10 rating for his performance by Shields Gazette journalist Dominic Scurr, with the defender forming a solid partnership with goalscorer Schar.
It has to be said, considering the recent injury crisis within the Newcastle squad, the 29-year-old has filled in when needed and produced some solid performances.
However, despite his admirable displays, he should make way for another Magpies player, given how Palace are likely to set up for the Premier League clash.
Under new boss Glasner, the Eagles have switched to a 3-4-3 system, putting a lot of emphasis on creating opportunities and overloading in wide areas.
6 foot 6 defender Dan Burn has often featured at left-back this season under Howe, but his lack of pace may be a weak point for the Magpies in the crunch clash.
The Newcastle-born defender still deserves to start, with Burn needing to shift to a more natural central role alongside Schar, thus ensuring Howe may utilise another talent in Krafth's place.
The man to replace Krafth vs Palace
After signing for £28m from fellow Premier League side Chelsea this season, full-back Lewis Hall has found opportunities hard to come by since his move to St James' Park.
The "quality" youngster, as dubbed by scout Jacek Kulig, has only featured in 12 Premier League games this season, failing to have the immediate impact he would've envisaged.
However, with the season drawing to a close, Howe must give the 19-year-old a run in the side to stake his claim for a regular first-team spot next season.
His energetic and aggressive playstyle would combat the Eagles' system and restrict the opportunities they can create down Newcastle's left-hand side.
Hall – who ranks in the top 13% among his European peers for touches in the opposition box – has the ability to create frequent attacking opportunities, something which Burn struggles with, allowing the likes of Isak and Gordon to create more problems in the final third at Selhurst Park.
It certainly would be a bold call to drop Krafth given his recent performances. However, given how the opposition are likely to set up, it would be the perfect opportunity for Howe to reintroduce the youngster to combat the threat that the Eagles pose.
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