Newcastle Utd produced a virtually flawless performance as they put a toothless Crystal Palace to the sword on Saturday afternoon.
 
And so emphatic was the victory that Palace manager Roy Hodgson could not find a single word of positivity to say about his team, such was United’s dominance.
 
The seeds of that dominance were sown in the fourth minute when Jacob Murphy, making his first start of the season met a cushioned pass from Kieran Trippier and chipped the stranded Palace keeper with the ball nestling into an empty net.
 
However, Murphy was forced to hold back on his goal celebration while the obligatory VAR check was completed in United’s favour.
 
And other than the odd flurry into the Newcastle half, Palace were forced to rely on a combination of lady luck and the woodwork as wave after wave of attack made the next forty minutes fly by before Anthony Gordon finally made one of a number of chances that came his way finally count as he met Murphy’s cross at the back post and placed his shot past Johnstone in the Palace goal. 
 
Then in the second minute of time added on Sean Longstaff made it three; pouncing on a slip by Marc Guehi to side-step the defender and fire the ball past the helpless Johnstone.
 
Palace did rally at the start of the second half but that was obviously more a reaction to a half time rollocking from their manager than a sign of something more positive and the game was over as far as Hodgson’s beleaguered team was concerned long before Callum Wilson got his name on the scoresheet in the 66thminute.
 
There were some standout performances in black and white shirts. Murphy and Trippier were a constant thorn in the side of Palace left back Tyrick Mitchell. Anthony Gordon was again impressive. Bruno Guimarães and Sean Longstaff controlled the midfield while Fabien Schar played as fine a quarterback role as you could see, setting up wave after wave of attacks with a range of passing that at times defied belief. 
 
But the biggest cheer of the day was reserved for Sandro Tonali when he entered the fray in the 69th minute as Guimarães was withdrawn, his job done. 
 
Tonali has gone through a difficult time since the allegations of gambling issues first broke and as the Italian goes through his own trauma, he will do so knowing that he has the backing of the toon army.

Like most supporters, Eddie Howe must have mixed feelings about International Breaks. 
On the one hand he will be proud of and pleased for his players away representing their countries. But on the other he will be hoping, if not praying that they return fit and healthy and more importantly available for selection for this weekend’s fixture and the visit of Crystal Palace.
 
On the injury front Harvey Barnes remains a long-term absentee but the better news comes in the shape of Joe Willock, who is ever nearer to being available for selection but won’t be rushed back. However, Lewis Miley is suffering from Glandular Fever and therefore not included in the squad.
 
Sven Botman looks to have overcome his own injury concerns while news is awaited on both Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak. The latter was withdrawn from the Sweden squad with what was reported as a groin problem picked up in the latter stages against West Ham. Isak has not returned to training this week and his selection will be a late call for Howe. 
 
Joelinton should have overcome the knee injury that has kept him out recently and Anthony Gordon has completed his suspension after totting up five bookings in the first nine fixtures of the season.
That tightrope is now being walked by Bruno Guimarães who has collected for bookings this season and is therefore only one booking away from an enforced rest.
 
The biggest decision for Howe concerns Sandro Tonali. Speaking at his Friday morning press conference Howe said of Tonali “Sandro is very much with us, he trained twice this week with us. He is very much available for selection.
“Like I do with all the players I analyse how they have looked in training, how they feel and he’s very much with us. He has had a very difficult couple of weeks and has been dealing with a lot.
 
“From what I can see he is handling himself very well and dealing with his emotions strongly. But underneath that I am sure there is a lot going on. So, I have to make a call.
 
“But I have to bring it back to football and have to bring it back to his training performances then do what is best for the team.”
 
The situation regarding Tonali was obviously something that the assembled media wanted to push Howe on, not only on the players availability and impending suspension but how and when the club were made aware of alleged gambling irregularities that emanated from Italian press and prosecutor’s investigations that have rocked Italian football.
 
Pressed on when he expects to hear about a possible ban, Howe said: “Personally no. The other people dealing with that maybe have a better idea. For me my focus has been on Sandro himself and the training this week.”
 
 Howe was asked if more background checks could have been done on the player before committing to his signing and he rightly replied.  “That’s a different game. That’s hindsight.” And in truth that was probably more a question for Dan Ashworth and Darren Eales to answer rather than Howe. As sporting Director Ashworth is responsible for that aspect of club business.
 
And the same can be said about the question of what AC Milan knew about the problems regarding Tonali before sanctioning the sale. Howe simply batted that question away, saying: “That’s something I can’t comment on. I have no idea. My thought process is all about Sandro and helping him.”
 
Roy Hodgson meanwhile will be without Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise, who are both out with hamstring injuries. Hodgson will be hoping his midfield duo Cheick Doucoure and Jefferson Lerma have overcome their own injury concerns and are available for selection.
 
Match Referee for this fixture is Tim Robinson; assisted by Adrian Holmes and Simon Long. Fourth official is Keith Stroud. 
VAR is in the hands of Simon Hooper and James Mainwaring.
 
KO is 3pm UK time.

Eddie Howe chose not to risk his walking wounded and in doing so made only one enforced change to his line up for the encounter with West Ham at the London Stadium, opting to bring in Elliott Anderson for the suspended Anthony Gordon.
Callum Wilson made the bench but there was no place in the squad for Joelinton and with the international break and a glut of fixtures to come Howe was obviously airing on the side of caution; particularly as far as the Brazilian was concerned.
 
The game kicked off in blue skies; a contrast to the weather back home and it was Newcastle who made the early running as they went about their business with the confidence expected of a team that had demolished one of Europe’s elites in midweek and their early possession nearly paid off when Anderson got on to the end of a cross from Kieran Trippier, but his header went high and wide.
But it was West Ham who got the break on 8 minutes when a rare defensive lapse saw Jamaal Lascelles drawn in by Antonio whose layoff was picked up by Paqueta. His chip into space was met by Emerson who rounded the onrushing Nick Pope and slid the ball to Soucek who slotted it into an empty net. 
 
The goal was very much against the run of play and frustration was showing when Guimarães received a yellow card for a foul on fellow countryman Emerson. 
And only moments later his frustration spilled over again as he crashed into Ward Prowse but this time the referee decided a further yellow was not warranted. Relief all round, but the Brazilian was now walking a tightrope.
 With 35 minutes gone the Magpies had only a shot from Almiron a header that went wide from Burn to show for their 73% possession.
 
After the break Newcastle came out of the blocks that little but quicker and their passing game started to pay dividends although they were lucky that Alvarez could not do better with a header from a predictably precise Ward Prowse corner.
And they got the break their possession deserved when Trippier floated a free kick into the West Ham box causing panic in the home side’s ranks and as a result Alvarez headed the ball straight into the path of Isak who lashed the ball home for the equaliser.
 
For minutes later and it was Isak again; rounding off a lovely move started by Guimarães who chipped the ball into the path of Trippier who met the ball on the volley and playing a cushioned pass across the six-yard box for the unmarked Isak to guide the ball home.
 
Isak could have claimed his hattrick and finished the game as a contest in the 72nd minute when he latched on to a sweet pass by Schar, rounded the keeper and from a tight angle rolled the ball towards goal, only to be thwarted by a combination of Nayef Aguerd and the post as the ball was slid out for a corner.
 
And Newcastle paid the price when West Ham substitute Mohammed Kudus scored an 89th-minute equaliser. The summer signing fired in his first goal for his new club and the points were shared.
 
Newcastle remain 8th in the league on 13 points going into the international break;  unbeaten in their last seven games in all competitions.