Newcastle Utd 2 – 3 Everton
Everton took the lead not once but three times in this fantastic win over Newcastle United at St James’s Park, but the best moment wasn’t Barry scoring off his arse — it was an absolutely stunning save by Jordan Pickford to keep out an absolute rocket of a volley from Tonali just before the end.
David Moyes rings the changes after last weekend’s loss, Dwight McNeil, Beto, Jake O’Brien and Vitalii Mykolenko coming into the first XI, with Armstrong, Barry, Keane and Iroegbunam dropped to the bench.
McNeil makes his first start since the 1-1 home draw with Leeds United on 26 January, replacing Harrison Armstrong on the wing, while Beto is preferred to Thierno Barry in attack, but still no place for George or Dibling.
Jake O’Brien – available again after serving a one-match suspension – and Mykolenko will be the Blues’ full-backs, as Jarrad Branthwaite returns to his more familiar centre-back role ahead of Michael Keane to partner captain James Tarkowski.
The rest of the personnel remains the same from Monday night’s narrow 1-0 loss to Manchester United – Jordan Pickford in goal, James Garner switching back to defensive midfield alongside Idrissa Gana Gueye, while Iliman Ndiaye and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall are the Toffees’ other attackers. Charly Alcaraz is still out injured
First Half
The All-Blues kicked off in the new Dewsbury-Hall up-and-under, leading to some long throws from Jake O’Brien, but Newcastle cleared and Ramsey surged down the right.
McNeil did well to steal the ball back but Everton were just too slow and poor in their build-up play that went nowhere. McNeil drew a foul, but it was mostly sideways and backwads until it went all the way back to Pickford, his hoof upfield losing possession.
Beto tried to block Pope’s clearance and was blown for it. But The Toon were as bad with the ball as Everton had been. But Everton forced a turnover and Ndiaye advanced into space, powering a shot 2 feet over Pope’s bar.
A poor pass gave the ball back to Everton who worked it around until McNeil decided he would try the up-and-under — just an utterly bizarre ‘shot’ on goal.
Newcastle mounted their first attack but were kept well away from Everton’s goal. But they came back around and Joelinton scooped this shot high and wide.
From an advanced Newcastle throw, Ndiaye dribbled manfully all the way to the opposition penalty area, failing to lay it off with a terrible pass for Dewsbury-Hall, who had incredibly run himself offside.
Garner was lucky nothing bad transpired when his hospital pass was pounced upon. Tarkowski cleared the ball up to Beto and Ndiaye drove forward again but should have shot instead of trying to play in Beto; still, it won a corner.
This time, no loose ruck in the 6-yard area, instead a brilliant flat curler for Jarrad Branthwaite to glance in off the inside of the far post to give Everton a brilliant opening goal. Who said we don’t do corners right??? (Even though Tarkowski was clearly offside… but not interfering with anyone.)
That seemed to wake up the home side, who were suitably chastened and tried a bit harder to make something happen. But it got all scrappy along the touchline.
Some nice triangles looked set break forward until Ndiaye stood on the ball! Yikes! Elanga looked set to beat Mykolenko for pace but Branthwaite was acroos to clear into Row ZZ. Gordon tried to make something of the throw but Everton broke and Gordon felt it was his job to stop Ndiaye from advancing again.
Dewsbury-Hall tried to force his way through into the Newcastle area but the ball wouldn’t roll for him. Elanga tried again down Everton’s left, Mykolenko blocking for a corner, from which, Elanga could only nod a weak header to Pickford.
Everton tried to break out but McNeil was sandbagged by Hall and Gordon, Elanga shooting at Pickford. But Newcastle were now getting forward and Tonali picked out Ramsey whoo turned Gana to fire in a snapshot that flew off Branthwaite’s leg and deflected over Pickford into the Everton net. All square.
But in repsonse, Beto exchanged passes with McNeil who fired a decent shot at Pope, and he parried it the wrong way — Beto in like Flynn to smash it into the open net. 1-2!
This really set things up nicely, wth the Toon Army foaming at the mouth, Joelinton getting a warning after reacting to the ref. But Newcastle piled on the pressure, testing the Everton defence, Gordon floating in a decent cross to the far post. Joelinton fouled Tarkowski but the referee only had another word.
Still Newcastle kept pushing up and working the ball around. Gordon could not get past O’Neil but McNeil cleared the ball straight to Hall, his cross deflected behind for a corner. Mykolenko clears as the first defender but it works around and Branthwaite concedes another corner that was cleared upfield.
Dewsbury-Hall tried to play in Beto but the big man was the wrong side of Burn. But Newcastle came forward again and won another corner that threatened nothing, Burn committing a foul.
Mykolenko sliced an easy clearance into touch as the man held up the board for 2 minutes of added time. Newcastle won a late free-kick and Hall tried a wayward rocket from well outside the Everton area, with the All-Blues going in ahead at the break.
Second Half
No changes, of course, from David Moyes, but Jaob Ramsey was feeling unwell and Willock replaced him. Their first attack was thwarted by a Joelinton foul. McNeil got a shot on target, Pope down to his left to save this one.
It was a bit stop-start, Mykolenko falling heavily. Beto did well to chase down a ball with Hall tackling him on the edge of the penalty area, Attwell giving Everton a corner, not a penalty. VAR confirming that.
Tonali floored Garner beyond the corner flag to get the ball a little too aggressively. Dewsbury-Hall tried to tackle Tonali, who clipped the ball away just in time: yellow card and a dangerous free-kick 25 yards out. Trippier lashing it beyond the angle. Hall then fouled Garner.
Moyes was probably content with the broken tempo of the play as Everton continued to stay tight defensively. Ndiaye tried to create some magic, but Dewsbury-Hall messed up his forward ball and Newcastle were briefly backon the attack.
O’Brien got stretched on an aerial challenge and Newcastle came forward, Hall trying to find Gordon. Thee followed a spell of intense pressure from Newcastle, Gordon trying to score but his shot was blocked and then cleared.
Willock pulled back Dewsbury-Hall and saw yellow or it. But the pressure was relentless, Murphy trying ot dance his way through. A great tussle between Burn and O’Brien was allowed to play out by Atwell.
Somehow, Beto kept a lost ball in on the touchline and got forward one-on-one with Pope, lashing his shot onto the bar. Itwas end-to-end as a cross came over for Gordon at the far post but he could not convert it.
Gordon looked to drive trough and was tackled cleanly by Garner who very obviously got the ball (and the man) but was shown a hugely unfair yellow card, and another free-kick, this time for Tonali but he made a mess of it.
It was another heart-in-mouth moment as a chip floated agonisingly over Pickford, he got his finger tip and Hall over hit his chipped cross that should have gone back into the mixer. Newcastle were trying everything now, until Willock wasted a wild shot, with 20 minutes.
Newcastle were pressing but just making basic mistakes, Willock powering his pass over Barnes and out of play. 15 minutes left now as Barry replaced Beto and Newcastle were getting more and more frustrated by Everton’s resolute defence.
Gordon squared up to shoot but it was blocked by Dewsbury-Hall. Barnes then shot, blocked by Tarkowski. And so the siege continued, with Armstrong on for McNeil into the last 10 minutes.
But the dam finally broke, Joelinton picking out Barnes for a volley than deflects in off Gana Gueye. 2-2
But a remarkable sequence, where Gordon was robbed and Dewsbury-Hall drove into the area, crossing low just before he was tackled, with Thierno Barry storming and himself being fouled by Burn? But as he fell, the ball hit his arse and bobbled over the line into the Newcastle net! Fantastic!! 2-3.
Dewsbury-Hall was fouled but Burn decided he was playacting and tried to haul him up. That caused a bit of a fracas and a yellow card for Burn. Keane on for Dewsbury-Hall.
Into 6 minutes of added time and Ndiaye fouled by Joelinton, then Mykolenko fouled by Tonali. Everton got upfield and Ndiaye had some fun with his deft foot-juggling.
An extraordinary sequence saw Tonali volley back in a Keane clearance with incredible force and power, Pickford launching himself into a brilliant reaction save to paw it away. Just an unbelievable save from Pickford!
Newcastle then wanted a penalty when a corner struck Tarkowski’s arm held close to his chest. But VAR wasn’t interested and the game played itself out with Everton securing another remarkable win on the road.
Newcastle Utd: Pope; Trippier (75′ Wissa), Thiaw, Burn [Y:88], Hall; Tonali, Ramsey (46′ Willock [Y:61′]), Joelinton; Elanga (56′ Barnes), Gordon (86′ Osula); Woltemade (56′ J Murphy).
Subs not Used: Ramsdale, Botman, A Murphy, Shahar.
Everton: Pickford, O’Brien, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Gana, Garner [Y:67′], McNeil (81′ Armstrong), Dewsbury-Hall [Y:52′] (89′ Keane), Ndiaye, Beto (74′ Barry).
Subs not Used: Travers, Patterson, George, Dibling, Röhl, Iroegbunam.