Newcastle United will look to continue their pursuit of securing their Champions League spot inside the top four when they travel to Goodison Park this evening for their Premier League clash with Everton.
The Magpies are currently six points clear and third in the top-flight table at present following a monumental victory over Tottenham Hotspur at St James’ Park last weekend and Eddie Howe will be hoping his team can continue their fine form away from home tonight.
Indeed, the last time Newcastle made the trip to Merseyside the dramatic game ended in defeat and with Everton fighting for Premier League survival this season again, it won’t be an easy task to take all three points from the Toffees.
In terms of injuries, Emile Krafth remains unavailable for selection alongside Allan Saint-Maximin who will only just miss out on the clash due to a thigh injury. Fabian Schar could also be set for a spell on the sidelines after sustaining a hamstring concern.
Howe took to his pre-match press conference yesterday to deliver a fresh update on Schar’s condition and confirmed that the centre-back will be a huge doubt for the upcoming fixture alongside a few other key players:
“We’ve got a couple of knocks,”
“Bruno, we think, will be OK. No problems. Fabby’s one that we’ll have to check and make a late call on. Same situation with a couple of other lads.”
How could Newcastle line up vs Everton?
Howe could make three changes to his team that thrashed Tottenham Hotspur 6-1 last weekend, whilst maintaining his successful 4-3-3 formation.
Pope; Trippier, Lascelles, Botman, Burn; Guimaraes, Joelinton, Longstaff; Gordon, Wilson, Murphy.
The first alteration we expect to see is in the defensive set-up, with Jamaal Lascelles earning some much-deserved game time to replace injury-doubted Schar alongside Sven Botman in the centre-back partnership.
The second and third changes we predict will come in the forward line, with Anthony Gordon taking up the role on the left flank, where he could make his first appearance at Goodison Park since he left his boyhood club in January. Expect a frosty reception.
This Newcastle team have built a reputation for their aggressive mentality and ability to frustrate opponents this season, so unleashing the former Everton winger could be the perfect move from Howe to really rattle the Toffees.
Whilst we expect Jacob Murphy to retain his starting spot in the front three following a fantastic run of form that’s included two goals and an assist in his last four outings, it could be an opportunity for Howe to give Alexander Isak a rest to keep him fresh for the congested fixtures ahead and instead unleash Callum Wilson.
The £46k-per-week ace – hailed “unique” by coach Graeme Jones – has not only been a massive goal threat this season for Newcastle but has an impeccable record against Everton in recent times, with six goals and one assist registered in his last half a dozen outings versus the Toffees.
With that being said, Howe could really benefit from utilising the high-quality rotation he has available to him in tonight’s game and another three points tallied up would keep them comfortably in contention to live out their Champions League dreams.
#Newcastle #Predicted #Everton