TEAM NEWS
Everton’s Phil Jagielka, who has been struggling with injury this season, was on the bench last weekend but is a doubt after missing a couple of training sessions this week. Fellow defender Leighton Baines remains sidelined with a back injury.
Newcastle midfielder Sean Longstaff is likely to miss the rest of the season with a knee ligament injury. Defender Ciaran Clark and goalkeeper Rob Elliot remain sidelined with respective knee and back injuries.
MOTD COMMENTATOR’S NOTES
@Guymowbray: United offering their manager a new contract is the hot topic in Manchester AND Newcastle, with few dissenting voices.
Monday marks Rafa Benitez’s third anniversary of becoming Newcastle’s boss, but he won’t discuss staying beyond this season until Premier League safety is assured – along with the ‘tools’ to help avoid future relegation battles.
A fifth successive home league win – not achieved in the same top-flight season since Sir Bobby Robson’s day – would be a significant step.
Marco Silva says Everton need to treat every remaining game “as a final”. After their battling display against Liverpool last week, maybe seeing them all as derbies would be better.
VIEW FROM THE DUGOUT
Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez: “I was trying to avoid over-confidence in the group before the West Ham game but sometimes you can’t.
“We won’t make the same mistake. Everton is another final for us.
“We did well at Goodison Park, we played well, but they have good players and it will be a tough, tough game.”
Everton manager Marco Silva: “We have to look for each match as a final, like we did against Cardiff and in the derby.
“Newcastle are always a solid team. They are very strong in their defensive organisation. They have always got five men in their backline and with four players in front of them who are really solid.
“They do not concede many goals and they are really strong in counter-attack too.”
LAWRO’S PREDICTION
I am not sure what the Magpies’ approach will be like this time but I think what happens in this game is far more significant for Everton manager Marco Silva.
After all their hard work last week, and the way they raised their game, if the Toffees went to St James’ Park and got run over, then I would be seriously worried.
Prediction: 1-2
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
- Newcastle have lost five of the past six Premier League meetings, including successive defeats at St James’ Park.
- Their only win against Everton in the last 12 top-flight encounters was by 3-2 at home in December 2014.
- There have been an unsurpassed 18 goals from penalties in this Premier League fixture.
Newcastle United
- Newcastle have won four consecutive league games at St James’ Park, conceding just one goal.
- They haven’t won five in a row at home in the same season since a run of six between January and April 2004.
- Only Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have kept more Premier League clean sheets than Newcastle’s nine this season.
- Just one of Newcastle’s 26 goals this season has come from outside the penalty area.
- Ayoze Perez’s last six Premier League goals have come at St James’ Park, with each of the last three assisted by Salomon Rondon.
- Matt Ritchie has produced 202 crosses in this season’s Premier League – only Everton’s Lucas Digne, with 204, has provided more prior to the weekend.
Everton
- All 10 of Everton’s Premier League wins this season have been against teams in the bottom half of the table.
- They are aiming to keep a third consecutive clean sheet in the league for the first time since January 2017.
- Everton have won two of their last three league away games.
- Theo Walcott has scored five goals and provided five assists against Newcastle in the Premier League, more than he has against any other side.
- Everton have had a joint-high four red cards in this season’s Premier League.
Source: BBC News
