Romelu Lukaku did first half damage, scoring twice against Newcastle and setting up Ross Barkley for another strike, as Everton climbed into the top four.
Sub Yohan Cabaye and fellow Frenchman Loic Remy restored some pride for the Toon with a stunning solo effort and a close range finish after the break.
Team News
Toffees manager Roberto Martinez made two changes to the XI that beat West Ham last weekend having gone out of the League Cup in midweek. Gareth Barry played his 500th Premier League match.
Nikica Jelavic and Steven Naismith, both once of Rangers, dropped to the Merseysiders’ bench as there were first starts for James McCarthy and on-loan striker Lukaku.
Magpies boss Alan Pardew meanwhile rested Cabaye and Papiss Cisse as Cheick Tiote and Yoan Gouffran came into the side that lost 3-2 to Hull at home.
Encouraging displays from local lads Sammy Ameobi and Paul Dummett in the cup win over Leeds were not enough to earn them starting berths in this league fixture.
Match Report
A purposeful start from Everton saw Lukaku put the ball in the net inside 90 seconds, but the Belgian was narrowly offside prior to rounding Tim Howard. Martinez’s men still went ahead on five minutes though.
Newcastle skipper Fabricio Coloccini saw his aerial clearance fall straight to Kevin Mirallas. His skill and cross from the right teed up countryman Lukaku, who swept home under Tim Krul.
Barkley lashed wide as the Toffees continued to attack, not allowing the visitors to settle. McCarthy then saw a low effort kept out by a combination of Krul’s foot and hand.
Everton doubled their lead on 25 minutes as Barkley finished an incisive move. Sylvain Distin stepped majestically out of defence clearing to Mirallas and he fed Lukaku, who slipped in Barkley to slot into the near corner.
The Magpies defence stood off the home striker at their peril, and he scored again before half time. Lukaku tapped in when Howard’s clearance was allowed to bounce by both captain Coloccini and keeper Krul. A three-goal margin didn’t flatter the hosts. Lukaku then had yet another effort ruled out for offside.
Abysmal as the first 45 was from a Newcastle perspective, Pardew made changes at the break that improved their performance. Hatem Ben Arfa drew a low, parrying stop from Howard in stoppage time before being withdrawn.
Cabaye came into midfield and Mike Williamson brought a British presence to defence. The Magpies showed encouraging signs almost immediately as Gouffran hit the base of the post with a chip when fed by Vurnon Anita.
Martinez’s Toffees then went close to a fourth goal as Mirallas’s cross evaded Krul, but Leon Osman failed to turn it in. Cabaye pulled one back for Newcastle five minutes into the second half when he found the top corner with a sublime 25-yarder in the left channel.
This contest quickly became wide open as Barkley drew another save from Krul for Everton before Magpies midfielder Anita wriggled free of the home defence and tested Howard.
Pardew threw on Cisse for the final quarter in search of further goals, but it was Remy who poked in a second for Newcastle late on to set up a grandstand finish. He later lashed over and the visitors left Goodison with nothing.
In the best cliché tradition this was a game of two halves, but the Magpies could only rue that breathless beginning from their hosts as defensive frailties were ruthlessly exploited.
Martinez’s men somewhat ran out of steam thereafter though. The last word goes to Lukaku, who on another day may have helped himself to a four-goal haul.
-
Match Stats
- Everton: 24 Tim Howard, 23 Seamus Coleman, 6 Phil Jagielka (c), 15 Sylvain Distin, 3 Leighton Baines, 16 James McCarthy, 18 Gareth Barry, 11 Kevin Mirallas (10 Gerard Deulofeu 73’), 20 Ross Barkley (14 Steven Naismith 88’), 21 Leon Osman (26 John Stones 90’+2), 17 Romelu Lukaku 4-2-3-1
- Goals: Romelu Lukaku 5’, 37’, Ross Barkley 25’
- Newcastle: 1 Tim Krul, 26 Mathieu Debuchy, 13 Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa (6 Mike Williamson 46’), 2 Fabricio Coloccini (c), 3 Davide Santon, 8 Vurnon Anita (9 Papiss Cisse 69’), 24 Cheick Tiote, 7 Moussa Sissoko, 11 Yoan Gouffran, 14 Loic Remy, 10 Hatem Ben Arfa (4 Yohan Cabaye 46’) 4-3-3
- Goals: Yohan Cabaye 51’, Loic Remy 89’