Match Report

If you don’t shoot, you can’t score. And if you don’t score, you can’t win matches. It really is that blindingly obvious and simple. As such, that would usually go without saying, but, having failed to register a single shot in the second half at Tottenham on Saturday, Everton somehow contrived to go another 90 minutes managing just one effort towards goal in this demoralising defeat at Newcastle.

In amongst the quest for success and silverware, football is supposed to be about entertainment. For those poor souls who made the trip to either the Capital or the North East in the last few days, Frank Lampard’s Blues offered almost nothing to make the journey worthwhile. For those who made both trips, may you be rewarded somehow in the afterlife for your unrequited devotion!

There was precious little to entertain in this match for the travelling Blues and Everton’s dearth of attacking threat is becoming extremely worrying, in the sense that it could become one of those psychological millstones around the team’s collective neck.

Apart from James Garner's late, curling cross-cum-shot, Lampard’s men haven’t managed an effort on target since Alex Iwobi’s 5th-minute goal against Manchester United three games and almost four and a half hours of action ago. It beggars belief that is even possible and yet Everton have managed it and it’s going to require urgent attention from the manager and his coaching staff.

Some of it is to do with confidence but there also seems to be a concerning lack of a plan or organisation about Everton in the final third. To their credit, they took whatever Lampard said at half-time to heart and improved markedly on what was a dire first half for much of the second… at least until Iwobi was mystifyingly substituted and Dominic Calvert-Lewin made way as expected with 20 minutes left.

The Blues controlled the possession for spells in the first 25 minutes after the interval, at times dominantly so, and yet they failed to create anything. A couple of through-balls almost put Calvert-Lewin in and there was a close offside decision that robbed the visitors of a rare shot on target but, in general, Lampard’s side were painfully poor around the Newcastle box.

While Calvert-Lewin was the target of just one cross from open play, the striker did manage to get his head to a corner in the 26th minute but he couldn’t keep it down and, in the final reckoning, it was the only time Everton remotely threatened Nick Pope in the Newcastle goal.

Instead, it was the home side who carried all the threat in the first half as the visitors were overrun in midfield and both Bruno Guimaraes and Jacob Murphy tried their luck from outside the box in the early stages.

The Magpies were playing the better football and when Amadou Onana lost the ball in weak fashion near the touchline, Eddie Howe’s team worked the ball into the opposition box where Guimaraes laid it off to Almiron and he finessed it over Jordan Pickford and into the top corner from 18 yards out.

Fabian Schär forced Pickford to bat the ball behind from close range 10 minutes before the break either side of two close efforts from Guimaraes, the Brazilian setting himself before dragging a shot wide and then trying to place a side-foot effort inside the post but missed by inches as Everton’s defence backed off.

Dan Burn flashed a header wide as Newcastle continued to threaten at the end of the half before Anthony Gordon tumbled in the box under the big defender’s challenge at the other end, sparking a melée that ended with the winger being booked along with Schär.

Lampard’s half-time team talk seemed to have a positive effect on his players who came out of the interval with much better stewardship of the ball and the possession metrics to match but it didn’t produce anything in the final third.

A few openings presented themselves early in the second half, not least when Demarai Gray drove to the byline for the first time but Iwobi couldn’t deal with his centre while other moves ended up going down blind alleys.

Meanwhile, Almiron tried to repeat his goal-scoring exploits from the first period but swept over the bar before Idrissa Gueye was forced to cover for another personal error by pulling Callum Wilson back to prevent the striker from racing away at Pickford’s goal, picking up a booking in the process.

Lampard withdrew Calvert-Lewin and Iwobi in favour of Maupay and James Garner with 20 minutes to go and then replaced Gray with Dwight McNeil but that only served to further blunt a completely ineffective forward line and the Blues would fail to land a glove on their hosts for the remainder of the contest.

With the likes of Alexander Isak and Allan Saint-Maximin missing, man for man, Newcastle weren’t that much better than Everton but they were better organised, played the better football and exhibited far superior movement and purpose.

In Guimaraes, they have a match-winner — a gifted player with the self-belief to go with it — and in Almiron, Howe has a player playing with confidence at the top of his game. Lampard has players at his disposal who could provide the same but the challenge will be how to knit it all together into a coherent attacking unit.

For now, he’s almost as far away from that as he could possibly be and, while the January transfer window may provide an opportunity to inject some potency, in the meantime, there are vital points to be won before the season pauses for the World Cup.

This article incorrectly stated that Everton hadn't had a shot on target since the 5th minute against Manchester United and has been amended accordingly.

Lyndon Lloyd

Matchday Updates

Everton travel to the North East to take on Newcastle United with Anthony Gordon returning to the starting line-up after having racked up 5 yellow cards already this season.

And he is joined by Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with Frank Lampard finally risking him to start the game, while Mason Holgate is also fit and takes his place on the bench, where there is no room for Salomon Rondon.   

Everton, wearing their proper strip, kicked off but surrendered possession early. Both sides were a bit sloppy but it was Everton who shaped to attack, however, Iwobi’s cross was blocked. Onana was fouled for the first free-kick. Pickford was already taking his time over his clearances. Calvert-Lewin’s first touch should have been better but he went to ground too easily. Guimaraes fired well wide. 

A very early yellow card for Calvert-Lewin for a poor tackle from behind on Guimaraes. That allowed Newcastle to shape their first real attack, Murphy lashing a wicked shot just over the Everton goal. Calvert-Lewin did better on the hold-up play but his pass was woefully short and Callum Wilson was able to run at Everton, thwarted by Onana. 

Gordon tried to break but was sandwiched and fouled, although not called by the referee, who seemed blind to Everton players being fouled. Gordon hobbled to the sideline before returning. Iwobi felt he needed to control a good ball forward from Tarkowski with has arm and Wilson was able to head goalwards. 

Gueye did well to break up a Newcastle attack, Murphy then dragging down Gordon. But Gueye was easily dispossessed. Gray was then fouled, but the Crossfield ball wide from Coady to Gordon was too challenging. 

Onana went down holding his head, the players ganging up on Callum Wilson, and a lot of silly handbags were held up and rattled aggressively. Everton were trying to make something of midfield possession but the press on them was intimidating, and Onana was next to be cut down, a yellow for Joelinton. 

Gray ambled down the left and won a corner. A fine delivery was headed blind by Calvert-Lewin and it flew over the bar when he really should have got it on target. Everton were finding space down the left with Gray but he passed between Iwobi and DCL, neither of whom were interested. Newcastle responded with a threatening attack of their own. Everton tried to break but they were thwarted when DCL could not keep hold of the ball.

Everton advanced again but Onan was far too slow and easily dispossessed. Newcastle went forward and Almiron scored with ease from the edge of the area. It was all the more maddening because Everton had been largely in control of the game to that point, although seriously lacking in urgency.

Newcastle had the confidence they had lacked and now started to run at Everton, who backed off alarmingly, Trippier firing wide. Iwobi lost the ball easily in midfield but Gordon and Coleman showed some fight to slow things down. However, Newcastle switched sides and won a corner that Pickford had to punch behind at the far post. 

Everton could not get on the ball and Guimares was almost invited to roll one inches wide of Pickford’s goal. Everton were so slow on the ball but Joelinton should have seen a second yellow for his aggressive play. Mykolenko did well to intercept, run forward and swing a deep cross for DCL but it was far too easy for Pope. Newcastle came forward again and Coleman had to give up another corner. 

The corner came in and was headed wide by Burn. At the other end, Gordon and Trippier got into it after Gordon was clearly pushed from behind by Burn and went down. Trippier came rushing in, deciding he had dived. VAR? No dice, sorry, no point; Schär and Gordon booked. Half-time called on another game we should really have been at least drawing, perhaps winning. 

Everton with a massive uphill limb, Mykolenko soon gives the ball away, inviting Newcastle to surge forward. Gordon tried to run with it but ran it out of play and Newcastle surged again. Gray did really well to run into the area and cut back, Iwobi watching it fly past him.

Calvert-Lewin looked to lose his marker and get through on goal but he was offside and could not beat Pope anyway. Everton looked to build but they just gave the ball away again in midfield, inviting more and more pressure. Onan played it forward to Iwobi but he immediately lost it.

Onana fed Calvert-Lewin but his first touch delivered the ball generously to his covering defender. So sloppy, so lacking in conviction, and it was soon back down the other end, Almiron trying a reprise of his goal, curling just wide. 

Everton had a free-kick, Gray casually looping it straight to a defender. Onana looked to have tackled Almiron from behind – it seemed the same as Calvert-Lewin’s earlier. Some better play got Everton up the field but Gray’s cross was overhit, Gordon keeping it in but the play moving back to midfield. 

Much better play: Gana, Iwobi, Gray, crossing in… no-one there!!! At the other end, Coleman tried to make life very difficult for Pickford with a crazy backpass. Everton tried t play forward but Gray is just such a difficult player to play with. Gueye was maddeningly casual on the ball again, and Wilson was in on him, forcing a daft challenge and a yellow card. 

Everton got away with a non-corner when Tarkowski glanced a header behind. Calvert-Lewin’s jumping for a Pickford clearance was shockingly early as he caught a Newcastle player on the way down. Everton were dominating the play but doing precious little in terms of generating any threat. 

Newcastle Utd: Pope, Trippier, Botman, Schär [Y:45'], Joelinton [Y:24'] (46’ Willock), Wilson (87' Wood), Murphy (71’ Anderson), Almiron (71’ Fraser), Burn, Longstaff, Guimaraes.

Subs not Used: Karius, Lascelles, Shelvey, Lewis, Targett, Wood, Fraser, Anderson.

Everton: Pickford, Coleman, Coady, Tarkowski [Y:89'], Mykolenko, Gana [Y:64'], Onana, Iwobi (74’ Garner), Gray (79’ McNeil), Gordon [Y:45'], Calvert-Lewin [Y:7'] (73’ Maupay).

Subs not Used: Begovic, Holgate, Keane, Doucoure, Davies, Vinagre.

Referee: Tony Harrington

Michael Kenrick

Match Preview

Everton travel to the North East for another difficult away assignment, this time at sixth-placed Newcastle but Frank Lampard has revealed that at least one player will be available again in addition to Anthony Gordon.

Gordon served a one-match suspension when the Blues played and lost to Tottenham on Saturday so he will be eligible while Mason Holgate is set to return to the Everton squad having recovered from a knee injury sustained against Brentford in late August.

However, Yerry Mina, who has been out for even longer, will not be returning with him as the Colombian suffered a setback in his rehabilitation last week. 

Andros Townsend and Nathan Patterson are still out with longer-term injuries, while Ben Godfrey has resumed running as he works his way back to full fitness after breaking a tibia just 10 minutes into the new season on the opening day against Chelsea.

Meanwhile, Lampard says that he and his staff are still taking a cautious approach with Dominic Calvert-Lewin as they continue to ease him back into the team after a year of injury frustration.

The striker has endured a stop-start comeback from the serious quad muscle injury he sustained in August last year, managing just 15 Premier League starts in 2021-22 before a knee injury sidelined him just days before the current campaign kicked off.

Calvert-Lewin has been nursed through an individualised training regime over the past few weeks and made his first appearance of the season as a substitute against Manchester United 10 days ago.

He came off the bench with 25 minutes to go at Tottenham on Saturday and though his manager hinted that he is getting closer to starting, he might not be ready to be named in the starting XI at St James’s Park.

“We’ve got to be careful with Dominic coming back in terms of his training and that we gradually bring him in as quick as possible. It’s a fine balance that one but he is certainly getting to the stage [where he can be starting].

“We have two games in three days coming up so hopefully we can get more minutes out of him.”

If, as expected, Calvert-Lewin isn't risked from the start, Lampard is going to have to get more offensive production out of a team that has scored just eight goals in 10 matches.

Whether that is shuffling his formation to a back three that would afford Seamus Coleman a rest and deploy Alex Iwobi at wing-back or reorganising midfield in some other way, the manager needs to find solutions, particularly with Neal Maupay looking so isolated and, therefore, ineffective in North London three days ago.

If there are developments working in Everton's favour it's that two of Eddie Howe's star attackers, £60m signing Alexander Isak and disruptive winger Allan Saint-Maximin, are both ruled out, as is roving hatchet man Jonjo Shelvey who has got away with a dreadful challenge or two in this fixture down the years.

The Magpies have Bruno Guimarães pulling strings in midfield, predatory goalscorer Callum Wilson up front along with current top marksman, the resurgent Miguel Almiron, but they can be vulnerable defensively.

A mixture of Saturday's patient approach and the way Lampard instructed his men to go about the Brentford and Leeds game could be successful and, perhaps, earn the Blues a result to take back to Goodison Park this weekend against Crystal Palace.

Kick-off: 7:30 pm, Wednesday 19 October 2022
Last Time: Newcastle United 3 - 1 Everton

Predicted Line-up: Pickford, Holgate, Coady, Tarkowski, Mykolenko, Gueye, Iwobi,  Onana, Gordon, Gray, Maupay

Lyndon Lloyd

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