Newcastle player ratings v Crystal Palace: 24-year-old out of his depth
Mikel Merino – 7
Delight for the Spaniard, who has netted his first goal for the club, although not many would have seen it coming from a header.
He tried to inject a little energy into the side after off from the bench but did not really have the expected impact from open play.
Still, no one will be complaining after his match winner, and there is a case for him to return to the starting XI soon.
Mo Diame – 6
Brought on in an attacking midfield role in place of Ayoze Perez, he actually managed to improve the side with his energy and determination.
There may have been doubts over his future after a bust up with Jamaal Lascelles but it seemed to kick him into gear which will have delighted Benitez.
Aleksandar Mitrovic – 6
Given 12 minutes of action, the Serbian threw himself around and harried the Crystal Palace defence, which they quite clearly did not enjoy one bit.
However he perhaps might be making a case to be utilised more regularly from the bench than in the starting XI, and he needs to prove that he can be a regular goalscorer if he wants to be in the first team.
In other Newcastle United news, fans were left perplexed after Benitez made this decision against the Eagles.
We’ve launched a << BREAKING NEWS FEED>> exclusively for your club. ‘Like Us’ on Facebook by clicking here if you want 24/7 updates on all Newcastle United breaking news