Palace 0 Newcastle Utd 0

As it happened:

• Four changes for Palace, with Zaha making his 450th appearance
• Ward, Schlupp, Ayew and Eze return to starting XI
• Almirón volleys into the side-netting from early Willock cross
• Burn and Joelinton force Guaita into simple early saves
• Newcastle increase the pressure as first-half wears on
• Mitchell and Guaita combine to block close-range Joelinton volley
• Édouard and Richards put efforts wide on the stroke of half-time
• HT: Palace 0-0 Newcastle
• Guaita denies Wilson early in the second-half
• Further chances spurned by Newcastle's Guimarães and Botman
• Vieira makes four changes, bringing on Clyne, Hughes, Olise and Mateta
• Mateta forces Pope into spectacular fingertip save from close range
• Newcastle continue to threaten from set-pieces, but Palace hold firm
• Ozoh comes on to become Palace's youngest-ever Premier League player
• FT: Palace 0-0 Newcastle

Buoyed by their midweek draw with Manchester United, but aware of the need to freshen the legs in his side, Patrick Vieira made four changes to his starting XI for the visit of Newcastle.

Introducing players across the park, in came Ward for Clyne in defence; Schlupp for Hughes in midfield; and Eze and Ayew for Olise and Mateta in attack.

The game also offered up the occasion of Zaha’s 450th career appearance for Palace, but it was Newcastle who offered the greater attacking threat early on, Miguel Almirón skewing a volley into the side-netting when well found at the back post by Joe Willock.

The visitors continued to have the better of the cagey opening stages, but created only half-chances as Dan Burn and Joelinton both shot straight at Vicente Guaita from just inside the area.

Perhaps it was to be expected given that the two sides’ earlier meetings in the season had both ended 0-0, but the contest – full of committed challenges – lacked clear chances.

As the opening half wore on, Newcastle attempted to step up the tempo with a succession of long balls forward and set-piece deliveries – and it was a corner-kick which nearly presented them with the opening goal.

Moments after a last-ditch challenge from Zaha denied Almirón the chance to shoot inside the six-yard box, Trippier’s whipped corner landed kindly – via a deflection – for Joelinton to catch on the volley. The strike was fierce, but Mitchell’s brave block took the pace off it, and allowed Guaita to scoop the ball away.

Palace’s best opportunities came in the final moments of the half as Doucouré’s raking ball over the top appeared to set Zaha clear in behind. The winger was tackled, but it broke kindly for Édouard behind him – the Frenchman’s placed effort deflecting wide.

From the subsequent corner, Richards did well to rise highest and win the header, but he could not direct his effort on target.

The second-half began more brightly as a contest, but it was the Magpies who continued to enjoy the clearer opportunities, Wilson heading straight at Guaita when unmarked early on.

Palace did well to hold firm in the face of Newcastle’s direct attacking style, although Guimarães slashed a half-volley past the far post and Botman headed wide when well-placed.

The momentum of the half required shifting, particularly when Zaha’s landmark 450th appearance appeared to be cut short by injury, prompting Vieira to make four changes midway through the second-half.

Those switches appeared to have paid off moments later when a snappy tackle from Hughes and a powerful run from Édouard led to the ball dropping kindly for Mateta near the penalty spot. The substitute's instinctive finish rose flew the top corner but so too, impressively, did Newcastle goalkeeper Pope, whose fingertip save denied Palace in almost unbelievable fashion.

After soaking up further pressure, it was Palace who finished the brighter of the two teams, further spurred on by the late introduction of Academy product David Ozoh from the bench; at 17-years-old, the midfielder duly became the club’s youngest-ever Premier League player.

Palace: Guaita (GK), Ward (Clyne 71), Richards, Guéhi, Mitchell, Doucouré, Schlupp (Hughes 65), Ayew, Eze (Olise 65), Zaha (Mateta 65), Édouard (Ozoh 90)

Subs: Johnstone (GK), Riedewald, Milivojevic, Wells-Morrison

Newcastle: Pope (GK), Trippier, Botman, Schär, Burn, Longstaff, Guimarães, Joelinton, Willock (Saint-Maximin 69), Wilson (Isak 69), Almirón (Murphy 86)

Subs: Dúbravka (GK), Lascelles, Lewis, Manquillo, Anderson, Ritchie