The most auspicious tribute to Newcastle inadvertently came in Carlo Ancelotti’s scathing assessment of a dreadful Everton display. “They showed more spirit, more fighting spirit, they showed more concentration and more motivation,” he said. “They were the weapons we had when we won games.”
Callum Wilson, embodying every trait that Everton lacked, won a precious battle for Steve Bruce.
Wilson scored the 50th and 51st goals of his Premier League career to give Newcastle a first win since 12 December and hit Ancelotti’s hopes of a top-four challenge. The striker could and should have scored more.
This was a performance and result for Newcastle to build on, a complete away display in many respects, plus a perfectly timed release for their manager with criticism building and showing. Everton were toothless, lethargic and, as Ancelotti and his captain, Séamus Coleman, bluntly admitted afterwards, simply not up for it. By contrast Wilson was relentless as the focal point of a well-organised, committed Newcastle team that stuck diligently to its gameplan to secure a thoroughly deserved victory.
“I haven’t turned it around now just because of one performance,” said Bruce. “I hope that, in time, if we stay fit and healthy, we’ll be OK.
“We have had a terrible time with injury and illness, it all seemed to be in one position and our big players have been missing, and you need your big players on the pitch. Thankfully we’ve got a far healthier look about us.”
A hamstring injury to the Newcastle, captain Jamaal Lascelles – “He could miss a good few weeks at least,” Bruce said – was one blot on an otherwise perfect afternoon.
The visitors’ positivity and confidence in possession ensured the game defied all pre-match expectations. The spectre of a relegation fight and another managerial change had increased at St James’ Park after 11 matches without a win in all competitions while, for Everton, this was an invitation to improve their Champions League prospects. It did not play out that way for either side.
Newcastle, coached for the first time by the former Everton and Belgium assistant manager Graeme Jones, took the game to their hosts rather than waiting to pounce on the counterattack.
With Isaac Hayden at the base of a midfield diamond, Miguel Almirón roaming to dangerous effect at the tip and Wilson a potent threat there was a solidity to Newcastle that underpinned their intent.
Everton opened brightly, peppering the penalty area with inviting crosses from the left, but soon ran out of ideas for how to prise open the defence or supply Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Newcastle’s seemingly deliberate targeting of James Rodríguez contributed to that frustration for Everton.
Rodríguez created two good early chances for Yerry Mina, both headed wide, but spent most of the first half nursing his ankles after Jonjo Shelvey, Hayden and Jamal Lewis all left their mark on him.
Not that Newcastle were purely in disruptive mode. Ryan Fraser, Almirón and Wilson combined to good effect throughout and it required an excellent save from Jordan Pickford to prevent the striker opening the scoring. Wilson met Fraser’s corner with a powerful header at the near post but Pickford, retaining his place after a costly error against Leicester in midweek, showed superb reactions to tip the effort on to the bar and over.
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Wilson wasted a glorious chance on the break early in the second half but made amends in fine style when Everton failed to heed the warning of his previous chance from a corner. This time Shelvey delivered from the right. Wilson again exploited the space in Everton’s zonal marking at the near post and steered a superb header across goal and inside the far corner.
It was Newcastle’s third goal in 10 matches and the comfort of a second should have arrived with three minutes remaining when Almirón released Wilson behind a square defence. The striker rounded the advancing Pickford only to clip the outside of a post from a tight angle.
In stoppage time, however, with Everton caught on the break at a corner, Lewis crossed for the unmarked Wilson to beat Pickford with a convincing finish. Relief at last for Bruce.
from Football | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2NKqqZ3
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