Everton missed the chance to return to the top of the Premier League as Callum Wilson scored twice to give Newcastle a first win in three matches.
Former Bournemouth forward Wilson opened the scoring – converting a penalty he had won after being fouled by Andre Gomes – and then tapped in a second from Ryan Fraser’s looping cross.
The result means Carlo Ancelotti’s side remain second, three points behind Liverpool, while the Magpies move up to 10th.
After a largely uneventful first half, the game sparked into life in the second period.
And Newcastle, who had taken a point from their two previous matches, had Wilson to thank for their victory.
Steve Bruce’s side could have added to their tally but Sean Longstaff’s powerful close-range effort was brilliantly saved by Robin Olsen, starting in goal for Everton in place of England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s late goal was not enough to prevent Ancelotti from losing consecutive league games for the first time since September 2014, when he was in charge of Real Madrid.
Everton began the campaign with four consecutive victories to move to the top of the Premier League, but this was another result that will have grounded expectations at Goodison Park.
Now without a win in three games, Everton’s big news prior to kick-off was that Pickford, who has come under scrutiny for several high-profile mistakes, had been dropped after 120 consecutive Premier League appearances.
In his place, on-loan Roma goalkeeper Olsen made a confident debut, saving superbly from Allan Saint-Maximin and turning away Longstaff’s powerful shot.
The Sweden international could not be faulted for either of Newcastle’s goals but Everton’s biggest problem was at the other end of the pitch.
Without suspended forward Richarlison and injured playmaker James Rodriguez, Ancelotti’s side struggled to create meaningful chances, mustering just four shots on target.
A five-man midfield containing players who all prefer to operate from central roles did not help, with Calvert-Lewin not seeing enough of the ball to make an impact until late on.
Everton’s limitations in the attack were highlighted further by 19-year-old Ellis Simms’ inclusion as a substitute along with Cenk Tosun, who came on for the first time since 21 December 2019.
As Premier League contests go, this will not live long in the memory for neutrals – but Bruce will have been pleased by the way his side set out to defend with numbers and break with pace.
In the two matches since their 4-1 home defeat by Manchester United on 17 October, Bruce has reverted to a three-man central defence and reaped rewards on both occasions.
His team took a point at high-flying Wolves and again looked solid against an Everton side looking to move back to the summit of the table.
Fabian Schar, Jamaal Lascelles and Federico Fernandez – who made more clearances than any other player (10) – were disciplined and dominant at the back.
At the other end of the pitch, Miguel Almiron, Allan Saint-Maximin and Wilson provided the pace and power to threaten on the counter.
Newcastle served notice of their intentions in the first half with Wilson firing over in the sixth minute and then combining with Paraguay international Almiron to create an excellent chance for Saint-Maximin following an Everton corner.
That pattern continued and was more effective in the second period, particularly once Wilson had scored from the spot.
And as Everton pressed for an equaliser, substitute Fraser breaks down the left allowed Wilson to put the game beyond them.
In Other News – Aston Villa 3 – 4 Southampton
Club stalwart James Ward-Prowse marked his 26th birthday with two goals from fantastic free-kicks as Southampton survived a late Aston Villa rally to move up to third in the Premier League.
The England midfielder also provided the assist for the opener for Jannik Vestergaard before Danny Ings made it 4-0. Two stoppage-time goals from the home side took some of the gloss off the victory for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men.
As for Villa’s Dean Smith, his side has now lost their past two games and conceded seven goals in the process having won their first four fixtures. learn more
Source – BBC
