Newcastle United desperately needed a victory this Saturday against Crystal Palace, they required to win in order to put pressure to both Sunderland and Norwich who weren't able to win this weekend but still have one more game than the Magpies to play. The Toon Army clashed against Crystal Palace at St. James' Park and managed to salvage the victory with an Andros Townsend beautiful free-kick that gave them the three points and puts them with 33 above the relegation zone.
Manager Rafael Benitez was buzzing after the match, he wanted to congratulate his players, but especially Andros Townsend for that incredible goal: "It was better because we won. You enjoy it even more when you win in this way. It wasn't just the penalty. The balls in the air, when he punched or caught them, he gave the defense confidence. You can say he's a hero but you can say the same for Andros. It was fantastic. We practiced different free-kicks, but not this one! He did well."
Knowing how difficult the fight to avoid relegation is, Benitez knows how important it was to win this Saturday: "It could be an important win for us. It's important for the fans but we have to keep going. We have to approach the game against Aston Villa like another final. We won against Swansea, had two difficult games against Liverpool and [Manchester] City and now we have these three points. The players are confident, they are working hard and know that working for each other is the key. The fans know that supporting the team is the key. Hopefully they can make the difference again. We have to win one - the next one. Afterwards, we'll think about the next."
Photo credit: Newcastle United FC