Premier League: The Toffees are in a Sticky Situation Against the Magpies

Everton vs Newcastle United

Everton’s top-flight status is in serious jeopardy, and their bid for Premier League survival won’t get easier when Newcastle United visit Goodison Park.

Newcastle United are certainly feeling themselves after thrashing Tottenham 6-1, which was a great bounce back after losing to Aston Villa in the game prior.

With the victory, Eddie Howe’s side is back in the top four, moving to third place with 59 points to level with fourth-seeded Manchester United.

Meanwhile, the Toffees’ poor run of Premier League 2023 results continues, as they haven’t won in five consecutive league games. They are fresh from a goalless draw against Crystal Palace, in which they were reduced to 10 men.

Sean Dyche’s men are in 18^th place with 28 points, but they can move out of the relegation mire should they somehow defeat Newcastle United at home.

Talking Points

Calvert-Lewin must return to the scoring column

Everton centre-back James Tarkowski calls for more production from their forwards to give themselves a better chance of surviving in the English top-flight, and he makes a great point.

The Toffees are dead last in scoring this season with only 24 goals, and they’ve only found the back of the net twice so far in April.

Demarai Gray and Dwight McNeil have recorded six and four goals, respectively, but that’s not enough. So, it’s clear that they need to look elsewhere for more production, and they’re hoping that Dominic Calvert-Lewin can be that guy.

Calvert-Lewin has been their main source of goals in recent years, but he has faced long spells on the sidelines this season due to injuries. The English striker has only made 13 appearances across all competitions, scoring only once.

He finally returned to Everton’s starting lineup against Crystal Palace on Saturday, but he couldn’t convert, which would’ve given the Toffees three valuable points. It’s safe to say that he’s still shaking off rust, but he should get another chance against Newcastle on Thursday.

In other news, Everton’s midfield will receive a huge boost with the impending return of Abdoulaye Doucoure, who was suspended for a few games for hitting Harry Kane’s face earlier this month.

Isak steps up for Newcastle

In stark contrast, Newcastle United certainly didn’t struggle to score in their win against Tottenham on Sunday since four different Magpies have found the back of the net.

Jacob Murphy and Alexander Isak each had a brace, while Joelinton and Callum Wilson added two more for good measure.

Miguel Almiron, who was out due to a thigh injury, came off the bench and did well in his limited minutes. Once he gets his legs underneath him, Newcastle United are going to be a more dangerous team.

And then there’s Bruno Guimaraes, who’s pulling all the strings in midfield. The Brazilian maestro may only have modest totals of four goals and four assists this season, but his influence within the team goes beyond the numbers.

But the main man to look out for if you’re Everton is Alexander Isak, as he has scored four goals in his last five outings. Everton defenders are in for a long night as the Swede is a handful inside the box with his physicality and underrated speed.

History

Everton have only won one of their last six Premier League matches against Newcastle United (D1, L4), although it did come in this exact match last year when they won 1-0 at Goodison Park last March.

Newcastle United have won four of their last five Premier League matches against Everton (L1), which is as many as they had in their previous 21 (D5, L12). However, they have only won one of their last 10 Premier League away matches at Goodison Park, which was a 2-0 victory in January 2021.

The Magpies beat the Toffees in the reverse fixture last October, as Miguel Almiron scored the only goal of the match after 30 minutes. Newcastle United had 16 shots, with four of them on target, while Everton only had one shot, with none on target.

Betting Tip

The SBOTOP Premier League 2023 odds expect the Magpies to win with ease on Thursday. Newcastle United are installed at 1.78 to win, whereas Everton are priced at 4.10, and a draw is at 3.40 in the 1X2 market.

Newcastle United need a couple more wins to fully secure their return to the Champions League next season. They should be able to beat Everton (and Southampton next week) easily with their players in fine form.

 

●●●

CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS

Stay updated with everything sports and betting.

Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.