Everton will host Newcastle United at Goodison Park on Saturday, looking to build on last week’s impressive performance against Crystal Palace.
Everton picked up their first win of the season vs Crystal Palace, and it will be interesting to see if they can produce a similar performance when they welcome Newcastle United to Goodison Park on Saturday. The home fans will certainly expect a strong showing from the players.
Meanwhile, Newcastle United are seventh in the league table, and they are coming into this game on the back of defeat and a draw in their last two Premier League games. They will look to bounce back strongly and grind out a positive result here.
On paper, Newcastle are certainly the better team, but they will have to be at their best to grind out a good result here. The Magpies cannot afford to be complacent against a resurgent Everton side. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top here. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Everton
Everton will be without Armando Broja because of a calf injury, Youssef Chermiti due to an ankle issue, and Seamus Coleman due to a calf issue.
The home side will shape up in a 4-4-1-1 formation, with Jordan Pickford in goal. Nathan Patterson and Vitaliy Mykolenko will start as the full-backs. They will look to protect the central defenders and hit Newcastle United on the break. James Tarkowski will start in the central defensive pairing alongside Jarrad Branthwaite.
Jack Harrison and Dwight McNeil will start in the wide areas. They will look to add pace and flair from the flanks. James Garner and Idrissa Gueye will start in the central midfield pairing, and they will look to add defensive cover to the side. Abdoulaye Doucoure should feature as the central attacking midfielder, behind Beto who will lead the line for Everton vs Newcastle.
Probable Lineup (4-4-1-1): Pickford; Patterson, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Harrison, Garner, Gueye, McNeil; Doucoure; Beto
Newcastle United
Newcastle United will be without Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles because of knee injuries vs Everton. Lewis Miley misses out with an ankle problem, while Callum Wilson has a back injury.
The away side will shape up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Nick Pope in goal. Valentino Livramento and Lewis Hall will start as the full-backs. They will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Lloyd Kelly will start alongside Dan Burn at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Bruno Guimaraes will look to control the tempo of the game alongside Sean Longstaff, who will look to break up opposition attacks. Joelinton will add creativity and drive to the side alongside them. Alexander Isak should lead the line for Newcastle United, with Jacob Murphy and former Everton attacker Anthony Gordon on either side of him.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Pope; Livramento, Burn, Kelly, Hall; Longstaff, Guimaraes, Joelinton; Murphy, Isak, Gordon
Key Stats
- Everton have picked up just one win from their last six league matches. The Toffees have lost four of their last six league matches.
- Newcastle United are unbeaten in four of their last six matches vs Everton. 16 goals have been scored in the last six meetings between these two sides.
- Newcastle United are unbeaten in five of their last six league matches.
- Everton have scored 46% of their Premier League goals from set pieces since Sean Dyche’s first game in February 2023 (30 of 66).
- Anthony Gordon has been involved in 13 goals in 23 Premier League appearances this year, scoring seven times and registering six assists.
Player to Watch
Alexander Isak
Alexander Isak has been outstanding for Newcastle United since joining the club, and he is our key player to watch out for. The Swedish international will look to get on the score sheet here, and he will help create opportunities for his teammates as well.
Isak is more than just a goalscorer, and Everton will struggle to contain him. The Newcastle United striker could cause all sorts of problems for Everton with his pace, flair, and link-up ability this weekend.
Prediction
Everton 1-1 Newcastle United
Newcastle United are undoubtedly the better team here and they have a better head-to-head vs Everton. They will look to pick up all three points here. Meanwhile, the Toffees picked up a win over Crystal Palace last week, and they will look to build on that performance.
Saturday’s clash at Goodison Park is likely to be a close contest, and it will be difficult to separate the two teams. Both sides are likely to get on the score sheet here, but they could end up cancelling each other out. A 1-1 draw seems like the most probable result.