This weekend’s Premier League climaxes at Goodison Park as Everton welcome Newcastle United for a midtable Premier League clash.
With their pre season aspirations firmly gone, both teams will look to use this game to sow some seeds for final few weeks and going into next season.
Team news
Everton could welcome back attacking midfielder, Dominic Calvert-Lewin from a groin injury.
Mason Holgate (ankle) and Gylfi Sigurdsson (knee) are ruled out for what looks to be rest of season. They however could be fit in time for Everton’s final league game against West Ham United.
James McCarthy (leg) and Eliaquim Mangala (knee) are ruled out for remainder of season.
Newcastle’s only absentee is Ghanaian international, Christian Atsu with a knee injury. Atsu however could return next weekend at home to West Bromwich Albion.
Form
Since returning from international break, Everton have drawn two of last three and lost the other.
In that time, they have scored just twice although one was an own goal by Swansea’s Kyle Naughton.
Newcastle meanwhile are unbeaten in last four league games, scoring eight goals and conceding twice.
Ayoze Perez is their top scorer coming into this game, having scored three goals in last three games.
Stat Attack
- Everton have lost just two of past 11 league meetings, winning eight and drawing one.
- At home, Everton have won their last five against Newcastle 14-5 on goal aggregate.
- Newcastle’s last two trips here have both ended in 3-0 defeats.
- Both teams have picked up 11 league wins this season.
- Newcastle have the second worst pass total this season in the top flight, having made just 11,784 passes so far.
- Jordan Pickford has made the most clearances out of any English goalkeeper in Premier League this season, clearing 46 chances whilst Newcastle’s Karl Darlow has made just six clearances.
- Everton’s Idrissa Gueye has made the Premier League’s highest number of tackles this season, committing 106 tackles. Only Leicester City’s Wilfred Ndidi has managed more tackles after making 135 in two more appreances than Gueye.
- Against their fellow current top half clubs (excluding Tottenham as yet to visit Wembley), Newcastle have taken just three points away at their grounds, coming on last away trip at Leicester City.
- Everton have taken 25 points from home games against nine of the clubs currently below them.
Where can game be won or lost?
| Per Game Average | Everton (home) | Newcastle United (away) |
| Corners | 4.35 | 4.31 |
| Fouls | 12.35 | 10.75 |
| Shots | 10.06 | 12.06 |
| Shots on Target | 3.29 | 4.56 |
| Goals | 1.53 | 1.06 |
| Yellow Cards | 1.41 | 1.5 |
| Red Cards | 1 | 0 |
| Goals per First Half % | 26.9 | 47.1 |
| Goals per Second Half % | 73.1 | 52.9 |
Clinical finishing definitely will be where this game is won or lost for both teams.
Although both average similar amount of corners, Newcastle look the more attacking but Everton do find more goals than the Magpies.
Discipline is broadly similar too but Newcastle look the more consistent across both halves goal wise.
If Everton lose this game, the answer will lie in their poor first half goals average whilst the Toon Army will just be unlucky not to take all three points if it ends as a draw.
Prediction
I fancy Newcastle to win here because they seem to be on a roll and Everton’s first half form at home is shaky to say the least.
Prediction: Everton 1-2 Newcastle United
Jake predicts: Everton 2-0 Newcastle United
Result; Everton 1-0 Manchester United