Preview: Everton vs. Newcastle United – prediction, team news, lineups

Newcastle United will be looking for their first Premier League victory since December 12 when they travel to top-four chasing Everton on Saturday afternoon.

The Magpies have lost their last five in England’s top flight to drop into 16th position in the table, while Everton currently occupy seventh, two points behind fourth-placed West Ham United as things stand.

Match preview

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Everton took the lead against Leicester City on Wednesday night courtesy of a first-half effort from James Rodriguez, but Youri Tielemans levelled the scores in the second period, and the points were ultimately shared at Goodison Park – a result that left the Toffees in seventh spot in the table.

Carlo Ancelotti‘s side are currently two points behind fourth-placed West Ham, although fifth-placed Liverpool and sixth-placed Tottenham Hotspur lock horns on Thursday night and therefore the gap could have been extended by the time that the Merseyside outfit take to the field for this game.

Everton have won 10, drawn three and lost five of their 18 matches this term to sit seventh in the table, and they actually have games in hand over a lot of the teams around them, including two over eighth-placed Chelsea and ninth-placed Arsenal, while West Ham in fourth have also played 20 times in 2020-21.

Ancelotti’s team have only actually picked up 14 points from their nine league games at Goodison Park this season, recording just four victories; they have won six times on their travels, though, and their form at home could ultimately cost them the chance to claim a surprise Champions League spot.

Everton suffered a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle in the reverse match back in November, but the Toffees have not lost at home to the Magpies in England’s top flight since September 2010.

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Newcastle, meanwhile, will enter Saturday’s clash off the back of a 2-1 home defeat to Leeds United on Tuesday night, which made it five league losses in a row since holding Liverpool to a goalless draw on December 30.

Steve Bruce‘s side have dropped into 16th position in the table due to their recent struggles and are now just six points clear of the bottom three, while 18th-placed Fulham have a game in hand over the Magpies.

Newcastle’s away form is a concern, picking up just eight points from 10 matches, while as mentioned, they have not beaten Everton at Goodison Park in the league since September 2010, when Hatem Ben Arfa scored the only goal of the contest.

The four-time English champions have not actually been victorious in the Premier League since overcoming West Bromwich Albion on December 12, while they have not claimed all three points on their travels since the end of November, which will not fill their supporters with too much confidence ahead of this game.

Everton Premier League form: WWWLWD
Everton form (all competitions): WLWWWD

Newcastle United Premier League form: DLLLLL
Newcastle United form (all competitions): LLLLLL

Team News

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Everton will again be without the services of Allan, Fabian Delph, Jean-Philippe Gbamin and Niels Nkounkou on Saturday afternoon through injury.

Abdoulaye Doucoure is available following a one-match suspension, though, and the midfielder is expected to return to the starting XI at the expense of Andre Gomes.

Ancelotti could also recall Alex Iwobi, with Lucas Digne dropping back to the left-back spot, but there are not expected to be many surprises, with Richarlison, Rodriguez and Dominic Calvert-Lewin all likely to feature.

As for Newcastle, Paul Dummett, Federico Fernandez and DeAndre Yedlin will again be unavailable, but Ciaran Clark has a chance of overcoming a calf problem in time for the contest.

Allan Saint-Maximin is pushing for a start, having appeared off the bench against Leeds, but Bruce could ultimately decide to select an unchanged XI for the contest.

As a result, Jacob Murphy and Miguel Almiron might keep their spots in the wide positions with Ryan Fraser being tasked with supporting lone forward and leading scorer Callum Wilson.

Javi Manquillo, Dwight Gayle and Andy Carroll are among the options for change, but Newcastle actually had 22 shots against Leeds, and there were signs of progress despite another loss.

Everton possible starting lineup:
Pickford; Holgate, Mina, Keane, Digne; Doucoure, Davies; Iwobi, Rodriguez, Richarlison; Calvert-Lewin

Newcastle United possible starting lineup:
Darlow; Hayden, Lascelles, Schar, Lewis; Murphy, Shelvey, Hendrick, Almiron; Fraser; Wilson

We say: Everton 2-0 Newcastle United

Everton have been better away from home than at Goodison Park this season, but it is very difficult to look past the Toffees considering Newcastle’s issues. Ancelotti will know that these are the type of matches that his side must win to challenge for a European spot, and we fancy the hosts to run out 2-0 winners.

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