Newcastle United climbed to third in the Premier League by thrashing Crystal Palace 5-0 on Wednesday, taking control of the race for Champions League football.

Taking full advantage of their game in hand, Newcastle were 4-0 up by half-time at a jubilant St James' Park.

They went ahead through one of the goals of the season 14 minutes in, Jacob Murphy sending a rocket of a shot inside Dean Henderson's near post from an acute angle.

But the game got away from Palace within the space of two dramatic first-half minutes. They had a golden chance to level when Nick Pope came out to punch and clattered Chris Richards, with a penalty awarded following a VAR review.

But Eberechi Eze's tame kick was held by Pope, and less than 120 seconds later, former Newcastle target Marc Guehi turned Harvey Barnes' cutback into his own net.

Barnes capped a devastating counter-attack to make it 3-0, then Fabian Schar headed Murphy's deep free-kick home deep into first-half stoppage time for 4-0.

Alexander Isak's curler rounded off the scoring in the 58th minute, and Palace never looked like scoring a consolation as they slipped to back-to-back defeats.

Newcastle – who again had Jason Tindall in the dugout as Eddie Howe continues to recover from pneumonia – are now two points clear of fourth-placed Nottingham Forest, while Palace stay 12th in the table.

Data debrief: Fast start has Newcastle flying

This was just the fifth time Newcastle had led by four or more goals at half-time in the Premier League, and the first since a 6-1 rout of Tottenham in April 2023.

Murphy and Barnes led the way, and the former has been involved in 16 goals in his last 18 Premier League games (eight goals, eight assists), as many as in his previous 54.

Barnes, meanwhile, has been involved in six goals across his last five league starts (three goals, two assists), as many as in his previous 22.

Newcastle also had a helping hand from a player that, had things turned out differently, could have been wearing black and white.

Guehi – who Newcastle targeted in pre-season – has scored an own goal in both games against the Magpies in the Premier League this campaign. 

It is just the second time a player has netted one home and away against an opponent in a single campaign, after Jamie Carragher versus Tottenham in 1998-99.