Newcastle Utd 0 – 1 Everton
Everton travel to the north-east to face Newcastle United at St James’ Park on Monday night; kick-off is at 8 pm GMT.
The return match of a double header created following Everton’s convincing fourth-round victory over the Geordies on Thursday night in the Carabao Cup looks like it could develop into a highly competitive game with The Geordies smarting from the result that saw them dumped out of the last 16.
They sit just a point and two places above Everton in the Premier League Table after successive defeats to Chelsea and Arsenal saw The Toffees slip rapidly down the table to 14th. But Everton have now beaten Newcastle Utd twice this season — by the same 3-1 scoreline. They say good things come in threes…
Team News
The official lineups have been announced and Newcastle are without five players, while Everton welcome back Jarrad Branthwaite. But there will be no rapprochement just yet for Jack Grealish, who needs to build back his match fitness after illness caused him to miss the Arsenal game, and he then skipped training, much to David Moyes’s displeasure.
George retains his place and Armstrong is back instead of Hackney, leaving a lot of forward-thinking attacking players on the bench.
First Half
Garner kicked off, Pickford hoofed forward, and Newcastle got possession. Go figure! An early free-kick was lofted up for Barry but he nudged his marker ever so gently… another free-kick. You can see this is going to be very scrappy.
But there was a nice move forward started by Armstrong, who then rescued the ball on the byline and it fell for Garner but his technique was abysmal. At the other end, Barnes again clipped one to the far post, just too high.
Dewsbury-Hall brilliantly played in Barry but he was just not expecting it. There was very little shape or coherence to the early exchanges, Osula seeing his cross deflected, Pickford’s clearance to Barry going out.
George tried to get involved down the right after good distribution from Garner but he was given a soft foul. Garner hurled Joelinton to the ground rather recklessly, giving the home side a chance to punt it long and straight out behind.
A Joelinton snapshot was headed away by Tarkowski for a corner, delivered well to the far post, Burn unable to get a strong contact. Everton looked good going forward but it all fell apart. Still they kept probing, a ball coming back to Armstrong on the edge of but he got his feet all wrong, Rohl then blasting over.
Mykolenko played up to Barry but he let Burn come in front of him to steal the ball easily. But Everton won a foul and Dewsbury-Hall planted it on Branthwaite’s head, a beautiful header down for Barry to smash into the net… er, no, to completely miskick. Unbelievable.
George cut inside for his customary wasted attempt, this one just terrible. Everton should be winning this game already by a significant margin. Another great Everton attack, George’s cross over Barry’s head. A long throw from O’Brien, then a cross in for Barry to try an acrobatic bicycle kick, and of course missing it completely. Oh dear.
Newcastle finally got forward and Everton had to defend. But Barry was fouled on the clearance and another free-kick but the organization was haphazard at best. But Everton then strolled the ball forward and somehow failed to make it count.
In the next Everton attack, Barry’s foot was stood on: yellow card and a dangerous free-kick on the dee. Garner’s set-piece was blasted guilelessly into the wall– no attempt to beat it — a shameful effort really.
Newcastle made another rare attack, Branthwaite looping a clearance onto the bar, Pickford making sure it went behind. Still, Newcastle retained possession, then won it again off George, Joelinton with a fabulous strike, curling away. Another Newcastle attack was stopped, and Rohl won a soft free-kick to put the home side under pressure but Branthwaite’s ball forward went harmlessly behind.
Another bizarre Everton attack — it’s as if they never practice what to do with the ball, Barry heading away from goal and Garner unable to fashion a shot. In the 2 added minutes, Everton passed it around until there was a brilliant deliveryy from DH to the far post, O’Brien unable to head the ball in as it bounced up off he turf.
Another excellent Everton move, DH picking out Armstrong in acres of space and he utterly botches his shot when it should have ripped the net apart! Oh my gawd… what an exhibition of utter incompetence by Everton when it comes to scoring goals!!!
second half
The second half started with Dewsbury-Hall stealing the ball but he could not find Barry with his pass. Everton looked to build again but Garner turned the ball over. Barry was caught late, and somehow Everton scored. The free-kick to Dewsbury-Hall, who played in George behind, and the cross was fumbled by Hornicek, Barry scoring brilliantly from 1 foot out.
Plenty for VAR to chew over, however, as they searched for something to disallow the goal… Did Barry foul Schhar, was Barry offside? … and incredibly it wasn’t. 1-0 to Everton!
Everton kept playiing it forward, Mykolenlo with a long throw, then Rohl winning a corner. A deep cross from George was met by Branthwaite at the far post and Hornicek grasped it. Everton were having a good spell but just couldn’t string the passes together.
Newcastle tried to attack, Elanga smashing the ball at Garner’s head, putting him down. Schar then had a couple of shots off target. Elanga beat Mykolenko and Willock tried to bundle the ball forward, but not past Pickford.
Everton moved upfield, Dewsbury-Hall firing one just over, with help from Hornicek. O’Brien with a great header off the corner, Hornicek scaving low to his left. Another brilliant corner but it was cleared out to Garner whose attempt was wild.
There was a scary moment when it looked like Wissa might have shot at goal. Then a wicked ball in to the far post caused havoc, Elanga getting it past Pickford but the ball spun pn the line and out, cleared by Branthwaite. Remarkable that Newcastle did not score.
Dewsbury-Hall got free and went on a good run but then went down as soon as he felt a touch. It was more competitive now, Rohl defeating Hall, who wanted a penalty, but Newcastle’s shots were being blocked. Barry got forward but could not pass the ball to George.
Rohl was next to get free, his ball in to Barry seeing Schar take him out, kicking his leg away from behind. How exactly is that NOT a penalty???
Newcastle were further encouraged, but Everton defended well, Barry giving a bit of afters to Schar at the expense of a free-kick. 75 minutes gone and more changes for Newcastle; none for Everton. Newcastle were pushing and probing without really threatening too much as Everton defended solidly.
A really good cross Pickford had to punch out, and Ramsey fired in a screamer that curled away from the post — incredible that didn’t go in. Finally, Johnson on for Barry. Then Keane for Branthwaite.
Everton had 10 minutes to hold on and they started playing better until Johnson got himself needlessly offside. More industry from Newcastle but Wissa’s shot at Pickford was tame.
A more pacey attack from Newcastle saw a lively cross that Pickford plucked out of the air and Everton tried their had at attacking, Dewsbury-Hall cleverly winning a corner but nothing came of it.
The best chance finally came to Wissa who spun and Pickford dived the wrong way somehow saving with his outstretched foot.
Johnson won a free kick that Garner played keep-ball with, Everton trying to deny any ball to Newcastle. They almost got it back, but Ramsey got himself booked for clipping Hackney. Moments later, a second yellow and a red for Ramsey as he clipped Armstrong, who stayed down, much to the vehement anger of the Newcastle players, Hall, trying to drag Armstrong to his feet.
But Everton completed their double over the Toon, who were made to feel very, very miserable at the end of his as boos filled St James’s Park.
Confirmed Lineups
Newcastle Utd: Hornicek; Dedic, Schar, Burn [Y:32′], Hall; Gonzalez, Joelinton, Willock, Barnes, Elanga, Osula.
Subs: Pope, Botman, Bamba, Wissa, Thiaw, Steur, Toure, Murphy, Ramsey.
Everton: Pickford; O’Brien, Branthwaite (82′ Keane), Tarkowski, Mykolenko; Armstrong, Garner, Dewsbury-Hall; Rohl, Barry (80′ Johnson), George (90+3′ Hackney).
Subs: Travers, Maitland-Niles, Norgaard, Alcaraz, Dibling, Graham.
Match Officials
Referee:John Brooks
Video Assistant Referee:Paul Howard
Assistant Referee 1:Nick Greenhalgh
Assistant Referee 2:Steven Meredith
Fourth Official:Robert Madley
Assistant VAR Official:Stuart Burt
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