St James’ Park awaits – Newcastle v Everton preview | OneFootball

Welcome to the Newcastle v Everton preview.

Sunday 25th May – 4pm kick-off.

The Premier League season reaches the final day this Sunday when Everton visit Gallowgate.

Newcastle United have the opportunity to seal a place in the lucrative Champions League and are safe in the knowledge that victory will guarantee a place in the top five. The day promises to be both exciting and nerve-racking in equal measure with five teams in the running for just three available slots.

The fact that two of those teams are playing each other cranks the tension up further on what promises to be a topsy-turvy afternoon where a number of different outcomes could still be possible right up until the final whistle.

Newcastle have won three, lost two and drawn one of their past six matches. Wins have come at home over Crystal Palace, Ipswich and Chelsea, whereas a draw came away at Brighton. Our defeats have both been on our travels to Aston Villa and Arsenal respectively. We’ve scored twelve goals in this sequence and conceded six. The ten points gained has us fourth in the league and we will finish the weekend (and therefore the season) between third and seventh.

Everton have have had identical form to NUFC over the past six matches with three wins, a draw and two defeats. Wins came against Forest, Fulham and Southampton, with a draw coming at home to Ipswich. Defeats have come against both Chelsea and Man City. Everton have scored eight goals and conceded six. They’ll end this season in thirteenth place regardless of the result.

Last time out

Newcastle went away to Arsenal, in the knowledge that victory would have them second in the league. Eddie’s Mags dominated the first half and were desperately unlucky not to take the lead in the opening forty-five minutes. United contrived to make and miss at least four glaring opportunities and were made to pay when Declan Rice whipped a curling effort into the bottom corner at the start of the second half. Newcastle huffed and puffed but couldn’t reach the heights of their first half performance. The best chance of an equaliser came when Joe Willock twisted and turned in the box before blasting an effort high over the bar.

Everton bid an emotional farewell to Goodison Park last weekend and signed off in style with a 2-0 victory over Southampton. Both goals came in the first half and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house when the final whistle sounded.

Stat attack!

Newcastle have won four and drawn one of their last six home matches with Everton.

Newcastle have scored three or more goals at home to Everton on seven Premier League occasions.

The Toon have won three and drawn one of their Premier League home games over the past four seasons.

NUFC have beaten Everton at St James’s Park sixteen times in the Premier League.

Memorable match

Former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez hosted Everton in March 2019 with the Toon not yet mathematically safe from relegation. This was a match that had everything!

The Toon found themselves behind early on but were soon given the chance to equalise when pantomime villain Jordan Pickford fumbled the ball and then rugby tackled Solamon Rondon in the area when he was about to place the ball into an empty net. Unbelievably, the referee didn’t give Pickford his marching orders, meaning he was still on the pitch to save Matt Richie’s penalty with his legs. When Everton doubled their lead soon after, it felt like it would be one of those days. The half-time score had the blues two goals to the good.

The second half started in a similar vein but Toon managed to gain a toehold in the match with sixty minutes on the clock after good link up play between Perez and Rondon saw the latter fire home at the Gallowgate End. The last half hour saw wave after wave of Newcastle attacks and with just ten minutes left to play, the breakthrough was finally made. Miggy Almiron lashed a shot towards goal and when Jordan Pickford parried the effort, Ayoze Perez was on hand to tuck home the rebound and level the scores. The Toon Army went mad celebrating a famous comeback but even better was to come.

A last-minute corner was allowed to bounce in the box, Rondon got a touch and Perez again lashed the ball past the stranded ‘keeper to win the match. Thankfully VAR wasn’t in operation as Perez was clearly offside in the build-up but this was still a fine win for NUFC. Irate mackem Pickford stormed off the pitch at full-time having spent the first half goading Newcastle fans and this display of petulance was lapped up by the ecstatic Toon Army. Same again on Sunday please. Final score Newcastle 3-2 Everton.

Played for both

Steve Watson came through the youth set-up at NUFC and established himself in the first team, before later moving on to Aston Villa. A defender by trade, he often came forward to good effect and scored our last winning goal at Anfield in 1995 with a fine effort to win a League Cup tie. He played for Everton for five years from 2000 and scored a memorable hat-trick in a 4-0 win over Leeds.

Gary Speed signed for Kenny Dalglish from Everton in 1998 and opened his account with a well taken goal against Barnsley in the FA Cup quarter-final. He’d go on to score thirty-nine goals in a six-year spell that included three trips to Wembley, three top five finishes and a place in the last sixteen of the Champions League. He was sold to Bolton in 2004 but was always afforded a fine reception from Toon fans when appearing against Newcastle. A true modern day legend, tragically he would take his own life in 2011 and is sadly missed to this day. Rest in peace.

(If you or anyone you know is suffering with mental health then please don’t be afraid to reach out. The Samaritans are available 24/7 on 116123).

Duncan Ferguson was an Everton legend! Unfortunately, his time at NUFC was overshadowed by a complete lack of form and fitness. His two-year spell at the Toon started well enough with two goals on his debut at home to Wimbledon but things went downhill soon after. There weren’t many great memories of his time on Tyneside but a superb turn and volley in a 3-0 victory over Man United was wildly celebrated, on a day when everything went right for the real United as the Premier League champions were blown away.

Managers

Eddie Howe after a 1-0 defeat away at Arsenal:

“We were really good in the first half, really strong and really imposed ourselves on that match. Their goalkeeper made some great saves, we didn’t take one of those huge moments. The second half was very different but we defended well. The goal that won the game was an unbelievable effort. My mood is the same after we lose: I’m disappointed, frustrated, takes time to get out of that way of thinking. I will look back positively on this game, there was so much to take from it. Halfway through the season we weren’t in a great position. We worked hard to get here.”

David Moyes after a 2-0 win at home to Southampton:

“I am pleased for the result, I wanted to make sure we finished on a high. We finish in a good enough fashion. I think more the feeling that there might be a club which is ­coming back together. Signs that before there was a real break-up, of a sort of love affair with the supporters, the ­players, the club, the owners. So we’re all trying to get back. We’re obviously all looking forward to it. If we can take what we had today to the new stadium, it’ll be something.”

Charity

Newcastle United fans food bank will once again be collecting opposite the Gallowgate end and gratefully receiving food, money and toiletries for those in need. Of particular interest are non-perishable food and drink items (such as noodles, pasta, rice, canned food, soup, cereal, cordial, long life milk etc) as well as toiletries such as shower gel, shampoo, toothpaste and sanitary products. Please give whatever you can, any donation is very much appreciated.

For further info and/or to donate online go HERE.

This has been a tremendous season and is destined to go down in history due to the achievement of winning a first major trophy for fifty-six years. The Toon have an opportunity to end it on a real high note with qualification to the Champions League. I think this will be a nervy occasion but two second half goals will ensure a memorable end to the season.

Newcastle 2-0 Everton.