Newcastle United will look to continue their impressive start to the Premier League season when they host bottom-of-the-table Crystal Palace at St. James' Park this weekend.

The Magpies would have been expected to struggle by some having been promoted from the Championship last term, but they have taken 11 points from the opening eight top-flight fixtures and more than held their own in all of the games.

While they may have been beaten by fellow newly-promoted clubs Huddersfield Town and Brighton and Hove Albion, they have also taken three points off of West Ham United and Stoke City and drawn with Liverpool and Southampton.

Rafa Benitez's men would have fancied his side for the visit of the Eagles considering they hadn't scored or picked up a point after seven games, but their 2-1 win against Premier League holders Chelsea last weekend could make the clash on Tyneside a very different encounter.

Here are three reasons Newcastle will lose against Palace on Saturday…

Takeover distraction

Newcastle owner Mike Ashley announced that the club was officially up for sale on Monday following 10 years under his leadership, but the timing of the statement could prove to be a distraction for the clash against Palace this weekend.

While the players will always have something like this in the back of their minds as they contemplate what it could mean for them in the future, the supporters are also likely to be sidetracked on Saturday having waited for this news for so long as well as the potential sums of money that are being bandied about.

The Magpies can't afford to take their foot off the gas now they are back in the Premier League, but it could easily happen for the visit of Roy Hodgson's men on Saturday.

Palace momentum

Following seven straight defeats and no goals at the start of the season, only a few optimistic Crystal Palace fans would have given the Eagles much hope of beating the Premier League holders last weekend.

However, that is exactly what they did and there certainly would have been an extra step in the players in training this week ahead of the long trip north to St. James' Park.

Roy Hodgson will want his team to use the momentum and confidence they would have got from the impressive result against Chelsea on Tyneside, and that could spell bad news for the hosts despite their own decent start to the campaign.

Danger of the counter-attack

While Christian Benteke is missing through injury, Palace certainly have the players to damage Newcastle on the counter-attack if that is how Roy Hodgson is intending to play at St James' Park.

Former Magpie Andros Townsend, Patrick van Aanholt, Jeffrey Schlupp, Bakary Sako and Wilfried Zaha – who scored the winner against Chelsea on his return to the side – can all show devastating pace and finishing ability on their day, and that speed and directness could prove to be a huge problem for the Magpies backline on Saturday.

What do you think, Magpies fans? Let us know below.