Who will hold their nerve in the basement clash?
Newcastle are currently in a complicated situation in the Premier League, are in a relegation spot and need to collect points. Everton FC are not in a much better position at the moment, but the Toffees have a new coach and a fresh breeze blowing through them.
Ahead of the Newcastle vs Everton match, the odds show that there is no clear favourite for either team. A minimal advantage for the hosts can be seen, but clearly the assessment of the bookmakers does not tend in one direction. Both teams have a lot of problems.
The Magpies seem to be in at least a little better shape than Everton at the moment, but again it is only nuances that make the difference. The game kicks off at 20:45 on Wednesday.
Newcastle – statistics & current form
Newcastle United are currently 19th in the Premier League. Before the short league break, there was a sense of achievement, with 1-0 defeated the Magpies Leeds United away. This victory could have been a spark for coach Eddie Howe’s team. Now, however, further results must follow.
In the winter, Chris Wood, Kieran Trippier, Matt Targett, Dan Burn and Bruno Guimaraes were brought in. These were necessary, however, because the team did not play very well for long stretches of the season. The home record is emblematic of this, Newcastle have only managed one win at St James’ Park so far.
A win against Everton would be doubly important. The momentum could be maintained and a competitor would be dragged even deeper into the relegation maelstrom. The odds, however, are not exactly clear-cut, with only minimal evidence of favouritism for the hosts.
Newcastle want to take the momentum with them
Newcastle have been consistently in a relegation spot in the Premier League since matchday seven. However, there have been five points and only one defeat in the last four games. The form is fitting better and better, the only major setback was the 0:1 against Cambridge in the FA Cup. The Magpies have also conceded only two goals in their last three league games, so the trend is heading in the right direction.
Taking this momentum with them is now the main goal for Newcastle. Everton have played one game less and are four points ahead of the Howe eleven. With a win, the Toffees would be absolutely within reach again. Moreover, with Everton, Aston Villa, Brentford and West Ham, the current fixture list is also anything but very complicated. Newcastle have a good chance to make a big step towards staying in the league in the coming weeks.
The hosts will endeavour to be compact, especially defensively, and not to give Everton any opportunity to set the scene for their own attack. That, combined with their decent recent games, is one reason why, ahead of the Newcastle v Everton game, our prediction is that the hosts won’t lose this game.
Predicted Newcastle line-up:
Dubravka – Trippier, Schär, Burn, Targett – Guimaraes, Willock, Shelvey – Almiron, Saint-Maximin, Wood
Last matches played by Newcastle:
Club friendlies
01/28 2022 – Al Ittihad 1 – 2 Newcastle United
Premier League
01/22 2022 – Leeds 0 – 1 Newcastle United
01/15 2022 – Newcastle United 1 – 1 Watford
FA Cup
01/08 2022 – Newcastle United 0 – 1 Cambridge U
Premier League
12/27 2021 – Newcastle United 1 – 1 Manchester United
Everton – Statistics & current form
There are plenty of starting points for criticism at Everton. The squad composition is not ideal, there are too many individual mistakes and the team scores too few goals, but concedes too many. In addition, there have been some negative results in the recent direct duel with Newcastle.
The change of coach from Rafael Benitez to Frank Lampard should ensure that Everton stabilise and take a step up into the midfield of the Premier League during the rest of the season. The Toffees have also been able to add something to the squad, and there is also a sense of optimism at the club after the clear 4-1 win over Brentford in the cup.
Everton’s start in the Premier League was actually very good, but the Toffees have only managed to pick up nine points from their last 16 games – no team in England’s top division has picked up fewer points in that time. The turnaround must now come, a defeat at rivals Newcastle would be a problem.
Everton hope to improve away record
One of the biggest areas of improvement for new coach Lampard is the defence. Everton have not been able to go without conceding a goal at home since the 0-0 draw against Tottenham on 7 November. Given the standards of this club, that statistic should cause a stir. The away record is not much to cheer about either, with only one win away from home.
Moreover, the number of goals scored away from home is also a problem. The visitors scored only nine times away from home in ten games, while at home they scored 15 goals in the same number of games. It would be presumptuous to believe that one game will be enough to reverse the trend. Everton still need time to implement Lampard’s ideas. Therefore, ahead of the Newcastle v Everton game, our prediction is that the Toffees will at least not win this game.
Predicted Everton line-up:
Pickford – Coleman, Godfrey, Keane, Mykolenko – Allan, Doucoure, van de Beek, Alli, Iwobi – Richarlison
Last games played by Everton:
FA Cup
02/05 2022 – Everton 4 – 1 Brentford
Premier League
01/22 2022 – Everton 0 – 1 Aston Villa
01/15 2022 – Norwich 2 – 1 Everton
FA Cup
01/08 2022 – Hull 2 – 3 Everton
Premier League
01/02 2022 – Everton 2 – 3 Brighton
Newcastle – Everton Direct Comparison / H2H Balance
177 matches have been played between these two teams so far. The balance is slightly in Everton’s favour, as the Toffees have 72 wins to their name. Newcastle are currently on 68 wins, with the Magpies winning both games in pre-season. At 268:261, the balance of goals scored is also very narrowly in Everton’s favour.
Newcastle – Everton Tip
Newcastle have probably made the greatest progress of all the relegation candidates in recent weeks, both in terms of playing elements and the squad. That should now also show in the direct duel with rivals Everton.
The chances are good that the hosts can put in a good performance in this game. Therefore, before the match Newcastle vs Everton our tip is that the home side will not lose this match.
