Even the military horses who caused panic when bolting through the streets of London would have turned back if confronted by Jean-Philippe Mateta. 

Here, it was the turn of Newcastle’s defenders to be spooked, and it was the Crystal Palace match-winner who alarmed them so.

Mateta had matched Alexander Isak for goals of late, five since the start of last month. He, however, has not been linked with £100million moves to Arsenal. 

Unorthodox at 6ft 4ins and at times awkward, the French striker does not boast the quicksilver skills of Isak.

But everything about the 55th-minute goal to set Palace on their way to victory - the one-touch exchange with Jordan Ayew and rolled finish into the bottom corner - his opposite number would have admired. It was, dare we say it, Isak-esque.

Jean-Philippe Mateta opened the scoring for Crystal Palace with his sixth goal in eight games

And their lead was deserved, too. 

While clips of its climax will feature only the crisp one-two between Mateta and Ayew that made mannequins of centre-backs Fabian Schar and Dan Burn, it was the incision of Eberechi Eze that created the opening.

In the absence of partner in crime Michael Olise - starting from the bench - Eze picked pockets and passes all night, a menace with whom Newcastle could not live. 

The same could be said of Mateta, who followed on from his two goals during the 5-2 win over West Ham with another double to take his tally for the campaign to 13. 

To think, he managed just two last season.

He settled the contest five minutes from time when sweeping home from a Will Hughes’ pull-back. Again, there wasn’t a Newcastle defender in sight. 

The win, a third on the spin, means Oliver Glasner’s side are all but safe now, one point shy of 40.

For Eddie Howe and Newcastle, this was a dent in their European aspirations on a night when they were second best for the majority and did not register a shot on target. 

There were late claims for a penalty, and a VAR check, when Sean Longstaff went down under the challenge of Hughes, but the desperation of what always seemed a futile appeal served to highlight how poor they had been.

Newcastle, 4-0 winners against Spurs last time out, at least picked up where they left off. Well, they did so for 90 seconds.

Thereafter, the opening period belonged to Palace. If Newcastle’s plan was to cede possession and play on the break, they were true only to the first half of the bargain. Come half-time, they’d had zero efforts on goal.

Palace were better, but this did not look like a pair of teams who had won their previous two. 

The hosts would have led if not for Schar’s brave goalmouth block to deny fellow centre-back Joachim Andersen in the fifth minute. That apart, it was efforts from range that never really threatened to break the deadlock.

Enter Mateta, running riot through the heart of Newcastle’s backline, much like those horses had done through this city earlier in the day.