Match Report

Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored his first goal since October to cancel out Alexander Isak’s opener as Everton wrestled a point from Newcastle in a tough contest at St James’s Park.

The Toffees’ striker took responsibility for an 88th-minute penalty and hauled his side back to parity after Jordan Pickford had kept them in the game, the Magpies had a goal chalked off for offside and James Garner struck the woodwork.

As expected, Sean Dyche set an unwanted Premier League record for matches without a victory at 13, equalling the longest post-War sequence the Club has gone without winning a league game set in 1957, but he will feel somewhat vindicated by a triple change after an hour and the fight his charges showed in the game.

Even if it didn’t always translate into clear goalscoring opportunities, Everton at least displayed an attacking intent that was wholly and unforgivably absent at Vitality Stadium last Saturday when they lost to Bournemouth – something to take into this weekend's huge home game against Burnley.

Yet they might well have drawn first blood this evening after Pickford had made his first telling contribution with a terrific stop at close range to foil Harvey Barnes, first when Dwight McNeil laid the ball off for Abdoulaye Doucouré but the Frenchman blazed over and then when Beto was clipped and James Tarkowski cleared the bar with a gilt-edged chance from the resulting free-kick.

Having wasted that chance, it was Tarkowski’s awful positioning that directly led to the Magpies’ goal. Sitting too deep, he was left in no-man’s land when Barnes lofted a ball over his head to Isak and the Swede deftly turned Jarrad Branthwaite, drew a premature lunge from the young defender and calmly slotted it into the far corner.

Jacob Murphy ballooned an effort well off target after 28 minutes while Beto, starting in Calvert-Lewin’s stead, lashed a terrible shot of his own well wide before both sides went close just before the break.

Arguably Everton’s best move of the first period saw Amadou Onana thread a pass to Doucouré in the box but his attempted curler searching out the top corner was placed too close to Martin Dubravka who comfortably plucked it out the air.

Back at the other end, Pickford made another superb save, this time with his leg to keep Murphy’s far-post volley out before Isak’s shot took a slight deflection and flashed inches over the bar.

Tarkowski, something of a liability for much of the contest, almost prodded into his own net four minutes after the restart but was relieved to see the ball bounce off the outside of the post.

Nine minutes later, Newcastle thought they had doubled their lead. Everton’s defence appeared to go to sleep while organising an uncomfortably high line, Isak collected the pass and centred for Dan Burn to convert in front of goal but the striker was found by VAR Michael Salisbury to have been fractionally offside as he peeled off his man.

As the game passed the 60-minute mark, Dyche withdrew Onana, Beto and Doucouré, throwing on Garner, Calvert-Lewin and André Gomes and the former Manchester United midfielder came within an inch or two of making an almost instant impact.

Vitalii Mykolenko, back in the side having recovered from the flu as one of four changes to the team that has lost at Bournemouth, found Garner in the box and he feinted back on to his right foot and struck a low, side-foot shot that, agonisingly, came back off the inside of the post rather than bouncing in.

Mykolenko then from provider to saviour a few minutes later when Barnes teed Isak up for what looked to be a certain goal with a cut-back from the byline but the Ukrainian was perfectly placed to block the shot on the line and it was hacked to safety.

The hosts kept the ball alive and Barnes narrowly missed the far post with a shot from the angle as the game really started to come to life.

Dubravka parried from Ashley Young, in from the start in place of Jack Harrison, at one end and Pickford pushed away a drive from Bruno Guimaraes at the other but when Young was dragged down by the neck by Barcodes substitute Paul Dummett, referee Tony Harrington was eventually prompted by the VAR to review the incident on the pitch-side monitor.

The officials came to the sensible decision that Everton should be awarded only their second spot-kick of the season, one which Calvert-Lewin duly converted with enough power that the keeper couldn’t keep it out despite guessing the right way.

Nine minutes went up on the Fourth Official’s board and though the tiring McNeil had a decent look from the edge of the box, he smashed it into the stand behind the goal, the only real chance either side had to win it in the time added on.

Dyche’s ignominious place in Everton’s modern history is now assured, surpassing an ugly record that became synonymous with Mike Walker’s failed tenure as the Blues’ boss, but there was enough on show in this game to suggest that he might be able to keep the club in the top flight this season, assuming the verdict from the second independent commission into breaches of the League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules isn’t another hefty points deduction.

Where his side have looked toothless, aimless and devoid of spirit on many occasions in recent weeks, there was at least some fight about them this evening and enough attacking intensity to instill hope that they can get a much-needed win over the Clarets at Goodison Park this weekend.

Lyndon Lloyd

Matchday Updates

Everton are on the road again for a trip to the northeast as Sean Dyche looks to engineer what would be an unlikely victory given his side's worsening form and avoid setting an unwanted record for successive games without a victory in the Premier League.

Sean Dyche makes a number of changes to the side that performed so dreadfully at Bournemouth on Saturday, with Mylolenko, Gana, Young and Beto returning to the starting lineup while Coleman, Gomes, Harrison and Calvert-Lewin step down to the bench.

A number of players are missing for the home side, most notably Anthony Gordon, whose late and very minor show of petulance at the end of their win over West Ham at the weekend saw him shown a second yellow card. 

Everton kicked off and Pickford delivered the first hoofball, losing possession. Newcastle tried to play through the lines but Godfrey intercepted, however the ball did get delivered in well to Barnes who drew Pickford out quickly to deny him with a brilliant block. 

Burn and Beto clashed heads on Pickford's next hoofball. Everton built slowly and ended up playing it back to Pickford for the hoof that was collected well by McNeil, setting up Doucoure for a decent shot that flew over the angle of the Newcastle goal. 

Krafth clipped Beto, setting up a free-kick on the left for McNeil to put it onto Tarkowski's head but he headed over despite the prodigious leap. An opposition free-kick was rapidly turned over but Everton could not build on it. 

Everton played up but Young could not get the corner decision his way and Newcastle went up the other end to win themselves a corner that came to nothing. Play was quite open with neither side pressing particularly, Everton not building on some good possession. 

Godfrey had to head behind with Barnes overlapping behind him, the second corner well cleared. But a quick ball over the top of the Everton defence was jumped on by Isak, and he knew exactly how to beat Pickford with Branthwaite and Tarkowski unable to block his path to goal, it was that easy.

Onnaa pulled a tremendous tackle on Hall in the Everton area as Newcastle threatened again. Pickford hoofed a free-kick forward but it came right back and Onana's tackle was less elegant this time, although he got the ball, but Anderson went down like a sack of spuds, drawing a dangerous free-kick wide left of the Everton area that was cleared. 

Onana was then fouled by Longstaff, Everton playing it back to Pickford for the hoof forward for Newcastle to win. When it came back, the Blues tried to play out rather dangerously. But the Barcodes could slow things down now whenever they forced a turnover. But when Everton lost possession in midfield, they surged forward, Murphy lashing his shot over. 

Beto finally got to a second ball and powered goalward but shot very poorly. slicing it away from goal. Guimaraes lost out manhandling Gueye but nothing came of the Everton set-piece. Mykolenko put a good ball down the wing to Beto but his cross in to Young was terribly underhit.

Everton had some better play in the Newcastle half off another Pckford hoof but they could not sustain it and Everton were immediately under pressure, backtracking until they gave up a corner off a blocked strike on goal, which was then headed behind off Branthwaite, but not spotted.  

Everton tried to work it forward again but could not penetrate the Newcastle back line before giving away the turnover, with Hall going to ground. But Everton were able to play down the wing before losing with Beto fouling Longstaff for his final warning. 

Everton put together a few passes to get forward, McNeil finding Onan in the middle and he fed Douccoure but hi shot toward the top corner was plucked out of the air by Dubravka. 

Another Onana ball forward was easily intercepted. Pickford had to come out and block an attempt by Barnes but the ball fell to Murphy, Pickford saving well with his feet. 

Newcastle attacked again and Isak did well to strike another dangerous shot that was deflected just over Pickford's bar, Schar heading the corner into Pickford's hands. 

Everton tried to play forward again but there was no guile and it was easily mopped up by the Newcastle defence to finish the half, with Everton playing a little better but with virtually zero threat to the Newcastle goal. 

Everton drove forward from the restart but the cross in was not ideal and it was repelled. They tried again to get it forward, the ball just evading Young, who seemed to be playing very high up. But Newcastle recovered and responded, winning a corner. Tarkowski tried to imitate Coleman, hitting the post with his strange 'clearance'.

Branthwaite halted Isak at the second attempt, who then fouled Gueye. Branthwaite tired to play forward into space but there were no Blue-shirted runners interested. Beto tried to get onto a backpass from Schar, catching Dubruvka's hand. 

Everton were pinned back a little but resisted, McNeil getting blocked by Barnes on the counter. But Everton won a corner, a decent delivery from McNeil skimming off a Newcastle head. Tarkowski tried a forward ball but it was hopeless really. 

From a Newcastle free-kick, it was played forward cleverly to Isak and his slick cross was smashed in by Burn. But it was checked for offside and ultimately chalked off. Que a triple change by Dyche on the hour mark. 

Another Everton punt saw some copetition for the bouncing ball but it was cleared by the Barcodes. A young cross almost found Calvert-Lewin but Dubravka took it off his head.. But Everton kept pushing forward, Garner turning well and putting his shot wide of Dubruvka but obto the post. 

But Newcastel mounted one of their bet maoves, Barnes setting up Isak with an almost open goal but Mykolenko  incredibly cleard his shot off the line, with Barnes lashing a fearsome shot across goal and just above the angle. 

Everton got forward, Mykolenko winning a corner, taken by MccNeil but way over to Calvert-Lewin. It fell for Young but his short was blocked.  Everton were playing a lot better now, but the play was still breaking down without any decent chances developing. 

Everton attacked again, Calvert-Lewin nodding down fro Mykolenko, thwarted by Burn, then Young having his shot saved. McNeil crossed in but Newcastle counted strongly, Guimares, forcing a great save from Pickford. In the workaround, Godfrey had to play it behind for a corner, cleared by Gomes. 

Everton could not get out and Godfrey had to defend well. Gueye finally released mcNeil who found Calvert-Lewin in acres of space but but Burn pushed hin wide and forced a goal-kick off the Everton centre-forward. 

From a foul on Calvert-Lewin, Pickford came forward to launch it. But nothing came of it and Newcastle counted, Tarkowski fouling Murphy off the ball. Chermiti came on and fouled Murphy. 

Everton countered and Mcneil put in a tremendous cor=ross but Calvert-Lewin was the wrong side of Burn. Young wanted a foul after Drummen dragged him down with a headlock and the VAR finally looked at it,, telling Harrington to go and have a look at it on the pitchside monitor. Definitely a foul but the ball wasn't really going to him; however, a penalty was awarded to Everton!

Calvert-Lewin took the ball and drove it confidently past Dubruvka to put Everton in with the chance of a point. But Newcastel attack with new verve, while EVerton countered but McNeil shot wildly over as Coleman replaced Godfrey with 9 minutes added. 

Everton forced a turnover but Gomes's cross was poor; however it won an Everton corner, but Tarkowski was called for a foul. Newcastle attacked and tried to set up a strike that was well blocked. Schar then won a corner with speculative distant shot-cum-cross. 

Branthwaite was pushed over as the corner was taken, but the ref didn't give Everton a free-kick, instead having the home side take the corner again. Schar went down this time but was ignored by the ref as Everton cleared under pressure, but they could not get out, Chermiti going in late on Schar.  Newcastles free-kick was well defended and the game ended with a precious point for the Blues. 

Newcastle Utd: Dubravka, Krafth, Schar, Burn, Hall (79' Dummett), Longstaff, Bruno Guimaraes, Anderson (71' Willock), Jacob Murphy, Isak, Barnes. 

Subs: Ritchie, Karius, Gillespie, White, Diallo, Alex Murphy, Parkinson.

Everton: Pickford, Godfrey (90' Coleman), Tarkowski [Y:81'], Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Gana (82' Chermiti [Y:90+8']), Onana (60' Garner), Young, Doucoure (60' Gomes), McNeil [Y:90+8'], Beto (60' Calvert-Lewin).

Subs: Virginia, Patterson, Keane, Harrison.

Michael Kenrick

Match Preview

Everton are on the road again for a trip to the northeast as Sean Dyche looks to engineer what would be an unlikely victory given his side's worsening form and avoid setting an unwanted record for successive games without a victory in the Premier League.

The Blues' boss equalled Mike Walker's 12-game winless run, that began the 1994-95 season and which ultimately saw him sacked in favour of Joe Royle, when his side lost in tragi-comic fashion at Bournemouth on Saturday and he enters a new calendar month looking no closer to having the answers.

This test at St James's Park looks daunting in that context, particularly given the Magpies' stirring comeback from 3-1 down against West Ham on Saturday. 

Eddie Howe has a lengthening catalogue of injuries that was compounded by Anthony Gordon's sending-off for two bookable offences that means he woin't face his former club this time around but Newcastle still have plenty of quality, particularly in the likes of Alexander Isak and Harvey Barnes.

Howe had Jamal Lascelles added to a long-term absentee list that featured the suspended Sandro Tonali and Sven Botmam at the weekend when the defender suffered a suspected ACL tear.

Lewis Miley, Callum Wilson and Joelinton aren't expected back until May, Nick Pope's shoulder injury looks likely to sideline him until the end of this month and all three of Valentino Livramento, Miguel Almiron and Matt Targett are significant doubts for the visit of the Toffees.

Ordinarily, an injury crisis of that degree would be a boon to Everton but Dyche and his players travel at a low ebb, with the club in an existential crisis off the pitch and, on it, the team reach new levels of attacking ineptitude in their 2-1 loss at Vitality Stadium.

Beto came off the bench to score a rare Blues goal that levelled the game against the Cherries but it was quickly wiped out by Seamus Coleman's own goal. The Portuguese may well have earned himself another start, however, with his somewhat fortuitous strike and Dominic Calvert-Lewin's ongoing goal drought.

Vitalii Mykolenko is expected to have recovered from a bout of flu that kept him out of the Bournemouth trip and would come in to replace the increasingly weak link of Ben Godfrey but the side is ripe for changes in a number of areas.

Dyche's limited imagination and dogged insistence on fielding the same personnel make it difficult to foresee any alterations to the line-up but there is, as ever, scope to try an alternative to the unproductive Jack Harrison wide on the right – the manager's answer is likely to be falling back on experience in the form of Ashley Young – and experiment with another combination in central midfield, perhaps bringing Idrissa Gueye or André Gomes in and resting James Garner.

Kick-off: 7:30pm, Tuesday 2 April 2024
Referee: Tony Harrington
VAR: Michael Salisbury
Last Time: Newcastle United 1 - 0 Everton

Predicted Line-up: Pickford, Coleman, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Garner, Onana, Young, McNeil, Doucouré, Beto

Lyndon Lloyd

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