Rewind 10 months and 3 days: Everton visited St. James’s Park and left with three points thanks to a Charly Alcaraz header. This resulted in the Blues ending the campaign 13th in the Premier League table, and there was a sense of surprise at that after a dismal first half of the season. Today’s hosts secured fourth spot despite the defeat, thus securing another year in the Champions League in their Saudi‑backed new era. Fast forward to the present day, and David Moyes’s Everton sat 9th, within touching distance of the European places, having revamped the squad with better quality and young stars for the future. However, the recent home form has cast doubts amongst the fanbase, some believing that this is a year to take advantage of teams underperforming, thus needing to take full advantage of their home ties. One of those underperformers are Newcastle, who sat 11th, although the Geordies would leapfrog Everton with a home win.
Moyes made changes to the defeat to Manchester United, bringing in Vitaliy Mykolenko, Jake O’Brien (available following a one‑game suspension), Beto and, most surprising of all, Dwight McNeil. The winger had not featured since his failed deadline‑day move to Crystal Palace. In the early stages, the changes seemed to have an impact from the off as Everton kept possession comfortably. A misinformed neutral would be forgiven for believing that the team in black and white were the away side, as Howe’s men attempted to stay firm while their opposition looked to create an opening. Illiman Ndiaye looked lively, and the Senegalese winger played a smooth one‑two with his international teammate Idrissa Gana Gueye before taking aim and shooting just over Nick Pope’s crossbar. The home side eventually got going, although the game was there for both sides to take advantage of. McNeil and Joelinton both fired high and wide of the target.
After a well‑worked move from the aforementioned McNeil and Ndiaye, as well as Kiernan Dewsbury‑Hall, Everton won a corner. James Garner stepped up and fired the cross towards the front post, where Jarrad Branthwaite manoeuvred himself to guide the ball towards the back stick with his head. His first goal of the season meant the visitors drew first blood after an impressive 20‑minute display. The travelling support roared up in the gods, very happy with what they were witnessing.
The home fans released an air of nervousness, quite similar to that at Hill Dickinson, but the Geordies would have something to shout about just over 10 minutes after the opening goal. Joelinton wrestled to keep possession before finding Sandro Tonali. The Italian played a decisive ball towards Jacob Ramsey, standing on the edge of the penalty area. His strike deflected off Everton’s goalscorer and directed the ball away from Jordan Pickford. Despite being pegged back, it took only 105 seconds for the Blues to respond. James Tarkowski fired a waist‑height ball to McNeil, who expertly flicked his first touch around Lewis Hall and played a give‑and‑go with Beto before striking a curling effort to Pope’s right. The goalkeeper saved but palmed the ball towards the centre of the six‑yard box, where Beto was on hand to take full advantage of the blunder and score Everton’s second. The forward had been given a chance to prove himself by Moyes, and he had taken full advantage with a goal and some vital hold‑up play.
The home side pushed for an equaliser before the break but to no avail, after Howe ditched his experiment. Nick Woltemade had lined up in a deeper role, with Joelinton wide and Everton old‑boy Anthony Gordon leading the line. The three switched to their usual roles and looked a threat, without creating any real chances of note. Everton fans were without doubt the happier of the two after witnessing an impressive half.
Newcastle were forced into a change after their goalscorer Ramsey had to be removed due to illness, meaning Joe Willock was introduced. Moyes unsurprisingly allowed his original eleven to finish the job. Just as they did in the first half, Everton looked comfortable, standing firm when needed but clearly wanting to add a two‑goal cushion. McNeil had another effort saved — and this time held — by Pope, before having a shout for a penalty waved away, with the on‑field decision confirmed by VAR. Hall challenged Beto after the striker pounced on a pass‑back by Dan Burn, but the collision occurred outside the box.
Regardless of form, Newcastle would always be expected to put their opponents under pressure, and that’s what Howe’s men did as they grew into the game with a sense of urgency, seemingly only now realising they were heading for a home defeat. Jacob Murphy and Harvey Barnes were both introduced to add some pace and industry, as Everton braced themselves for a tough final 30 minutes. The key to holding on to a lead is to keep threatening on the break, and that’s exactly what Moyes urged his side to do. Dewsbury‑Hall, Ndiaye, Gana Gueye (to name a few) continued to create passing sequences and openings. Another recommendation to reaffirm a narrow lead would be to score again — and that is exactly what Beto had the chance to do on the 65th minute. From a cleared corner, the number nine closed down Malick Thiaw, who attempted to run the ball out of play in his own half. Beto fought and managed to flick the ball forward from under him before running away from the defender. Bearing down on goal, with only Pope in his way for a second goal, his powerful effort struck the bar, leading to heads in hands and furious relief from the home fans. Upon inspection, the ball seemed to have crossed the line, meaning a five‑minute VAR inspection would have been likely.
As the clock ticked, Newcastle upped the ante and threw on Yoane Wissa to join the rest of their attackers. Howe needed inspiration — or luck — to find an equaliser. Tonali, Joelinton, Barnes and co. did their best to find a leveller, monopolising possession and prodding the blue wall, but Everton were resolute. However, despite the heroics, Newcastle received such luck as Jacob Murphy’s volley struck Gana Gueye, once again directing the ball away from Pickford. Joelinton drove down the left, cut inside and lofted the ball towards the makeshift right‑back, who ran back towards his half after netting, eager to ensure his side had time to find a winner.
The eleven on the field in blue would have been forgiven for settling for a point, despite guarding a lead valiantly — a point at St. James’s Park is never a bad result. This eleven had no such intentions. The 105‑second gap between the previous equaliser and the following goal seemed a lifetime compared to the second instance, as a mere 74 seconds passed before the away fans celebrated in delirium once again. From the kick‑off, Jordan Pickford’s punt upfield was eventually gathered by Pope, who quickly played out. Gordon received the ball in his own half and was hounded by blue shirts. Ndiaye nicked the ball and played it up towards Dewsbury‑Hall as many of the Newcastle shirts had bombed forward in expectation of an attack of their own. Thierno Barry, who had been introduced for the tiring Beto, moved towards the back post. As Dewsbury‑Hall rushed down the left side of the penalty area, he slid the ball across to the young Frenchman, who was blatantly pushed to the floor, only for the ball to ricochet off his backside and into the net. On an extraordinary afternoon on Tyneside, Everton found themselves in front for the third time.
After an action‑packed 90 minutes, there was still time for the crowning moment. Once again, the Geordies brought their dinosaur outfits and made sure to let Pickford know of their disapproval of the Sunderland academy graduate. As Newcastle huffed and puffed, Michael Keane cleared away Joelinton’s cross, and the ball dropped perfectly for Tonali on the edge of the box. As he strode forward to meet it, he executed a perfect volley and fired the effort over Tarkowski, sending it on its way towards a late equaliser, about to send the 50,000+ supporters home with some sense of relief. From the moment the ball left his boot, it seemed inevitable that both managers would shake hands, both with mixed feelings but content to walk away with a point, looking to kick on in their next respective Premier League tests. Both would remain close in the table and on points, justifiably wondering what an extra two points would have done to their hopes for the rest of the campaign. But no. Jordan Pickford managed to produce, in his own words, the best save he’s ever done. His ability to react to the thundering effort to his right, flicking the ball onto the bar, was outrageous. Paul Merson branded it the best save he’s ever seen as his first reaction (although retracting slightly by saying “one of” afterwards). Pickford had secured points for his team before, and in much more desperate circumstances, but arguably this was the most impressive of the lot.
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