“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.
Wilson struck twice, Joelinton once and Jacob Murphy was also on the scoresheet following a mesmerising run from fellow substitute Isak that took him beyond four blue shirts.
Howe shuffled his pack from Sunday but Newcastle’s penetration and winning mentally remained unchanged, victory taking them eight points clear of fifth-placed Spurs with a game in hand.
“We handled the occasion really well,” the Newcastle manager said. “It was a hostile environment and the first goal was always going to be crucial. Our confidence was evident in the second half. Maybe the edge of the game had gone but we had to earn the right to get to that point.”
Three of Newcastle’s goals came down Everton’s right flank where Ben Godfrey had a torrid night. The defender’s inclusion over Nathan Patterson at full back, where he also toiled in the damaging home defeat by Fulham, was a mystifying choice by Sean Dyche, who may have improved Everton’s aggression and physicality but not their prospects of avoiding a first relegation since 1951.
Everton collapsed following Newcastle’s second goal, just as they did against Fulham in the previous home game. With five games remaining to save the club’s top flight status, the first away at Leicester on Monday, the character on display is as alarming as the league table for Evertonians.
Dyche said: “In the first half we did everything I wanted them to do against a team that is flying, apart from conceding, but as soon as the second goal goes in the game gets away from us too quickly. The same thing happened against Fulham. We have to correct that very quickly.”
Goodison Road was filled with noise and blue smoke before kick off as thousands of Evertonians waited to greet the team coach. There was even a sustained fireworks display from behind the Gwladys Street and Bullens Road stands when the teams emerged.
It was some reception from a fanbase being put through the wringer once again and Dyche’s team initially responded, controlling proceedings up until the point Joelinton broke away to create Newcastle’s opener.
The visitors switched play through Matt Targett, who released the Brazilian down the left with a fine first touch. Joelinton gathered speed as he approached the area and cut back inside Godfrey before unleashing a venomous shot. Pickford parried well but the ball struck James Tarkowski and dropped perfectly for Wilson. The striker, one of three changes from the Spurs’ rout, made no mistake.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin had what would have been an exquisite equaliser disallowed for offside in first half stoppage time. He also forced Nick Pope to save early in the second half following good work from Alex Iwobi.
Pickford produced a magnificent save to deny the increasingly prominent Joe Willock when, unmarked on the corner of the area at a Newcastle corner, he curled a volley towards the far corner. The Everton keeper’s finger-tipped intervention was in vain. Seconds later Bruno Guimarães found Willock, who beat Godfrey to the byline too easily and chipped a perfect cross into the six-yard box where Joelinton scored with a textbook header.
It was soon three when Guimarães found Wilson lurking on the edge of the area. The striker was given time and space to pick his spot and chose the top left hand corner of Pickford’s goal. Dwight McNeil reduced the arrears when scoring directly from a corner but only for a matter of seconds. Isak weaved his way through anaemic challenges from Godfrey, Michael Keane and Idrissa Gueye before shooting across goal. Murphy tapped in at the back post.
There was still time for Howe to rub salt into Everton wounds by introducing Anthony Gordon to predictable boos against his boyhood club. Fabian Schär seemed to have applied more when scoring from distance but his fine effort was disallowed for offside by VAR. The two clubs are heading in very different directions.
