There is a bit more bite and meaning to the old refrain of “We shall not be moved” from Everton fans since their club was plunged into the relegation zone courtesy of the biggest sporting sanction in Premier League history. Their song of defiance reverberated around Goodison Park as Sean Dyche’s side climbed out of the bottom three with a resounding defeat of a shell-shocked Newcastle.
Eddie Howe’s side succumbed to their heaviest defeat of the season on a dreadful night for Kieran Trippier. The England international produced two calamitous mistakes in quick succession to hand Everton the lead through Dwight McNeil and Abdoulaye Doucouré. Everton’s summer signing Beto came off the bench to seal a psychologically vital victory in stoppage time.
The Park End was a sea of green at kick-off, and in the 10th minute, when Everton fans held aloft cards bearing the Premier League logo between the message “Protecting the few, not the many” as part of their ongoing protests against the club’s 10-point deduction for a financial breach. The home crowd was otherwise focused on pushing Dyche’s team in their attempt to climb out of the bottom three, breaking only to boo Anthony Gordon whenever he touched the ball on his return to Goodison Park.
Gordon and his Newcastle teammates were subdued early on by Everton’s relentless pressing and determination to take the game to the visitors. A right flank with a combined age of 73 did not restrict Everton’s ambition in that regard.
Dyche was forced into a late change with James Garner falling ill on the day of the game. The Everton manager responded by dropping Doucouré back into a central midfield and pushing 38-year-old Ashley Young to right wing. In Young’s place came the redoubtable Seamus Coleman for his first appearance since undergoing surgery on a serious knee injury suffered at Leicester in May. The return of the 35-year-old means he has played for Everton for a remarkable 15 seasons in succession. In financial terms, Coleman’s £60,000 transfer fee from Sligo Rovers now works out at £4000 per season in Everton colours.
Coleman and Young were at the forefront of a bright Everton start that was only undermined by carelessness with the final pass and their usual profligacy in front of goal at Goodison this season.
Jarrad Branthwaite glanced well wide from a McNeil corner while Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed an awkward chance over from Jack Harrison’s cross and then straight at Martin Dubravka a minute later. Nick Pope’s deputy in the Newcastle goal saved smartly from the fit-again centre-forward, diving low to his right, when he took Harrison’s through ball first time at full stretch.
Calvert-Lewin missed a glaring opportunity, the clearest of the first half, to reward Everton’s pressure shortly before the interval. James Tarkowski and Branthwaite both beat Newcastle defenders to a Jordan Pickford free-kick into the visitors’ penalty area. The latter’s touch fell to Calvert-Lewin, onside, unmarked and five yards in front of goal, but having controlled neatly on his chest he turned and blazed a volley over.
Newcastle looked lethargic by comparison in the first half. The front three of Gordon, Alexander Isak and Miguel Almirón were frequently isolated and only began to test Everton once the former Everton player switched wings with the Paraguay international. It took 36 minutes for Howe’s team to create a genuine chance from open play. Isak should have done better when Trippier’s first-time cross picked him out at the back post than to steer a header yards wide.
Newcastle improved after the break with Bruno Guimarães, Lewis Miley and Joelinton wrestling control of midfield from Gueye and Doucouré.
Gordon had two good chances in quick succession to punish his former club as Newcastle’s pace and width began to stretch Everton.
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The first stemmed from a risky pass from Pickford towards Tarkowski, who was under pressure from the Newcastle winger on the edge of his own area. Gordon intercepted only to reprieve Pickford with a tame shot straight at the Everton keeper. His next effort was far more ambitious when played through by Isak but, from 25 yards out, Gordon’s drive sailed over.
Then came the finale Trippier will wish to forget. With 11 minutes of normal time remaining the England full back collected a pass from Lascelles and stumbled over the ball while attempting to turn. McNeil pounced in a flash. Seizing possession, the winger sprinted from deep inside the Newcastle half to the edge of the area where he unleashed an unstoppable finish high into Dubravka’s left-hand corner.
Everton’s wild celebrations were almost silenced immediately when Almirón charged down Branthwaite’s clearance and raced towards goal. Not for the first time, Newcastle were foiled by an immaculate interception from Tarkowski.
And it was to get worse for Trippier. Seven minutes after his costly mistake he committed another, gifting possession to Harrison not once but twice. The on-loan winger darted down the left and, though McNeil missed his low cross, Doucouré dispatched it convincingly under the exposed Dubravka.
Goodison howled at the addition of 10 minutes to the regulation 90 but it afforded time for Beto to score his first Premier League goal for the club. Sent clear down the right by Nathan Patterson, the summer signing held off the attentions of Fabian Schar to beat Newcastle’s stand-in keeper with another clinical finish.