90’+6’Full TimeSecond Half ends, Everton 1, Newcastle United 4.90’+4’Attempt blocked. Fabian Schär (Newcastle United) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Joelinton.90’+3’Corner, Newcastle United. Conceded by Ben Godfrey.90’+2’Attempt missed. Jacob Murphy (Newcastle United) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Joelinton.90’+1’Attempt blocked. Jacob Murphy (Newcastle United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Joelinton.90’+1’Foul by Ben Godfrey (Everton).90’Attempt missed. Joe Willock (Newcastle United) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Callum Wilson.89’Foul by Dwight McNeil (Everton).88’Attempt saved. Fabian Schär (Newcastle United) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Joelinton.87’Substitution, Newcastle United. Jeff Hendrick replaces Joe Willock.87’Substitution, Newcastle United. Ryan Fraser replaces Joelinton.87’Substitution, Newcastle United. Sean Longstaff replaces Alexander Isak.87’Substitution, Newcastle United. Andy Carroll replaces Callum Wilson.
Newcastle United took a huge step towards Champions League football next season by convincingly beating struggling Everton at Goodison Park, who remain rooted in the Premier League’s relegation zone. Callum Wilson scored twice for the visitors in each half, reacting quickest to poke home the opener before curling a magnificent 25-yard effort into the top corner. Brazilian Joelinton netted in between, heading in from close range following excellent play by Joe Willock to set up the goal. The win keeps Eddie Howe’s men in third place, eight points clear of Aston Villa in fifth and with a game in hand, in the battle to play in Europe’s elite club competition.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin thought he had made it 1-1 for Everton on the stroke of half-time, but a delightful dinked finish was ruled out for offside. Dwight McNeil did make it 3-1 with a goal that went directly in from a corner kick, but substitute Jacob Murphy added a Newcastle fourth just a minute later to consign Everton to a 17th loss of the campaign, which leaves them two points from safety.
Barring a colossal late-season collapse, Newcastle will return to the Champions League next season for the first time in 20 years. The Magpies are an organised and well-drilled outfit under Howe and backed up their 6-1 dismantling of Tottenham last Sunday with another thumping result. Once they saw off Everton’s early bluster, there was only going to be one winner in this contest and it was old nemesis Wilson who proved the scourge of Sean Dyche’s side again. Alexander Isak eluded a number of challenges with some sensational dribbling to set up an easy finish for fellow substitute Murphy at the far post and Pickford brilliantly tipped Willock’s spectacular volley wide and defender Fabian Schar’s stunning late strike was ruled out for offside. But, after a dip in February and March, Newcastle maintained their superb recent run of results, collecting a seventh victory in eight games to control their hopes of a top-four finish.
This was a deeply chastening defeat for Everton and huge questions marks will now be asked about whether they have the quality to remain in the Premier League. After picking up two victories in Dyche’s first three games in charge, Everton have hit a slump with just one win in their last 10 – and at the wrong time of the campaign. McNeil pulled a goal back with 10 minutes remaining but the match was over by then. They now face an enormous meeting against third-bottom Leicester City at the King Power on Monday – the start of five vital games in a bid to avoid relegation from the top flight for the first time in 72 years. Alexander Isak was awarded Player of the Match with an average rating of 8.74.