Everton's hopes of retaining their ever-present Premier League status suffered a monumental blow on Thursday night as Champions League-chasing Newcastle United romped to a 4-1 victory at Goodison Park.
Buoyed by their thrashing of Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon, it was always going to be a difficult test for Sean Dyche's side to keep the Magpies at bay. Yet Nottingham Forest's victory over Brighton & Hove Albion less than 24 hours beforehand meant that the Blues would have to rally among themselves to find a solution and try and claim a first Premier League win since March 11.
That was not to be the case, however, as despite an impressive first half Callum Wilson fired the visitors ahead from close-range on 28 minutes. Joelinton and Wilson added put Eddie Howe's side out of sight before late goals from Dwight McNeil and Jacob Murphy rounded off the contest.
IN PICTURES: Everton fans stage stunning welcome for team bus ahead of Newcastle game
YOUR SHOUT: Rate the players after Everton slip to heavy 4-1 defeat against Newcastle United
Here's how the national media, and the ECHO's Joe Thomas, reacted to the defeat on Merseyside:
Dominic King, Daily Mail
"It was the silence that told you everything. At the final whistle, as players in blue dropped to their knees, those Evertonians who dutifully remained had nothing left to offer.
"There have been heavy defeats here before but, usually, they are greeted with fury. Arms angrily wave to scold players, faces are contorted with a “how dare you!” disgust. But, on this occasion, there was nothing other than muted ambivalence. The pilot light behind the fire had gone out.
"Everton have five games to save themselves but everything about this humiliation left you feeling this was the night when their future was decided. If fans have lost their ability to fight – and who could blame them – why would you think players who consistently disappoint will rouse themselves?
"What an absolute disgrace this is. Full marks to Newcastle, an upwardly mobile club who are bounding towards the Champions League, but this night was all about Everton and how shameful mismanagement, aligned with consistently poor decisions, has caught up with them.
"Everything about a second half, in which Newcastle went into overdrive and gleefully exploited some of the most wretched defending you could imagine, had the stench of relegation and, really, they could have been on the end of a scoreline as brutal as the one Tottenham suffered last Sunday."
Andy Hunter, The Guardian
“One very famous football club said to me two or three days ago: ‘Whenever we have a problem we say ‘What would the Everton board do, because they always get it right?’” Bill Kenwright, 2021.
Anyone of sound mind would do the exact opposite of what Everton’s delusional chairman and abject board have overseen during the seven years of Farhad Moshiri’s near-ruinous ownership.
Those appointed to run Newcastle’s football operation, for example. Newcastle again showed the wisdom of their £255m investment in new talent since the Saudi takeover in October 2021, along with the astute management of Eddie Howe, as they edged closer to Champions League qualification and pushed Everton towards the Championship with a second emphatic Premier League victory in five days.
Unlike the swift destruction of Tottenham at St James’ Park, Newcastle had to bide their time before delivering another incisive exhibition at Goodison Park. A seventh win in eight outings could have equalled Sunday’s scoreline but for the interventions of Jordan Pickford and VAR. Everton’s strong start was a distant memory by the time Callum Wilson, Joelinton and Alexander Isak were swatting aside the home defence with ease and exposing the chasm in quality between the respective forward lines."
Richard Jolly, The Independent
"That different beginning was a sign of Newcastle’s game management. They blitzed Tottenham from the start. They adopted a more patient approach at Goodison Park, aware Everton were likely to begin in a frenzy of energy but ultimately overpowering them.
"Having reinforcements of the calibre of Isak helped but, as the game progressed, as the Evertonian welcome of blue smoke and fireworks faded from the memory, the physicality of Willock, Joelinton and co exerted a greater impact.
"It extended part of a hugely impressive record. Newcastle’s flagship wins this season have come against Manchester United and Tottenham but their top-four charge has come from consistency, from a form of invincibility.
"They are unbeaten against the bottom 13 and, weathered the early storm and ended up with an almost embarrassing level of superiority. Pickford twice denied the excellent Willock. Fabian Schar had a fifth ruled out because Dan Burn was offside. It mattered not. The celebrations of both the players and the supporters reflected the magnitude of the win, the massiveness of the week.
"The European elite look on the agenda for Newcastle while Everton may have dates with Plymouth and Rotherham."
Shamoon Hafez, BBC Sport
"This was a deeply chastening defeat for Everton and huge questions marks will now be asked about whether they have the quality to remain in the Premier League.
"Backed by a vocal crowd who got behind the team early on, they saw plenty of the ball in the early exchanges without really threatening Nick Pope's goal. The manner of their collapse, though, will be of major concern.
"Wilson's opener silenced the home supporters and the Toffees never looked like recovering from that point onwards, having now scored multiple goals in just one of their 17 home games this season.
"After picking up two victories in Dyche's first three games in charge, Everton have hit a slump with just one win in their last 10 - and at the wrong time of the campaign. McNeil pulled a goal back with 10 minutes remaining but the match was over by then.
"They now face an enormous meeting against third-bottom Leicester City at the King Power on Monday - the start of five vital games in a bid to avoid relegation from the top flight for the first time in 72 years."
Joe Thomas, Liverpool ECHO
Everton’s twelfth man will do everything possible to pull this great club from catastrophe. But its fate rests in the hands of a squad that lacks belief, quality and resilience. This second half capitulation at home to Newcastle United was so embarrassingly dreadful that it rivalled some of the collapses already seen by this group of players during this wretched season. It might be the most damaging.
"For the first 30 minutes Everton had provided a glimpse of the talent and fight that will be needed to save the club’s top flight status. Rejuvenated by the return of Abdoulaye Doucoure from suspension and Amadou Onana from injury, they started well. There was an authority and a composure that has been missing through recent games.
"Against a side riding the crest of a Champions League-chasing wave that looks set to carry them into the world of Europe’s elite, Everton were initially quicker, stronger and slicker. Michael Keane carried the ball out of the defence, Idrissa Gueye snuffed out trouble in the middle and Onana spun into space before finding a progressive pass on several occasions.
"But this Everton squad can only do so much. That much is clear. It has been for months. Promising 30 minute bursts do not make a team worthy of staying in the Premier League. And what dominance that was enjoyed between the boxes amounted to little more than tame efforts from long range from Dwight McNeil and Gueye and a few crosses that evaded Dominic Calvert-Lewin."
READ NEXT:
Sean Dyche reflects on Everton transfer failures after bitter Anthony Gordon exit
Everton investment latest as 777 Partners source responds to rumours
Everton warned they may face 'biggest financial jeopardy in world football'
Inside Sean Dyche's plan to save Dominic Calvert-Lewin's Everton season
Everton could lose six-goal defender as summer 'transfer plan' emerges
