Everton v Newcastle: Toffees to Take a Point Which Guarantees them European Football Next Season?
This match will decide whether the Toffees campaign ends in success or failure as 5th spot and a Uefa Cup place hangs in the balance. Despite looking set to compete with local neighbours Liverpool for a Champions League spot for much of the season Everton’s form has dropped since mid-March and a defeat in this match and a Villa win would see them miss out on Europe altogether. They face a revitalised Newcastle side this weekend whose confidence may have dipped slightly following their home defeat to Chelsea ending a 7-match unbeaten run.
King Kev Keeping Toon Momentum Going
Kevin Keegan’s return heralded a return to the attacking football of his first reign at St James’ but it took him some time to turn Newcastle into a winning team again. They suffered their first defeat in 8 matches last weekend since they began playing with all 3 strikers in the side. The Toon trio of Michael Owen, Obafemi Martins and Mark Viduka have been a revelation since they all began playing together but they were not strong enough to stop Chelsea’s title charge. They’ve now conceded 4 goals in their last 2 matches ending a run of 4 clean-sheets in 5 games. However, the Magpies are unbeaten in their last 4 away trips (3 draws and 1 win) so confidence should still be high on Tyneside for a visit to Goodison Park to face an Everton side gripping onto 5th spot despite a poor recent run of form.
Toffees Stumbling Towards the Finish Line
The Toffees have ended the campaign disappointingly after an excellent first three quarters of the season in which they looked set for a Champions League place. However, a run of 1 win (against Derby) in the last 8 matches has left them in danger of missing out on Europe altogether. David Moyes’ side have failed to win any of their last 4 games (2 defeats) though they have faced Birmingham (a), Chelsea (h), Villa (h) and Arsenal (a).
The goals haven’t been flowing as top scorer Yakubu has only netted once in his last 11 appearances in all competitions whilst Andy Johnson has failed to score in his last 5 appearances. They need to avoid defeat to be assured a Uefa Cup spot if Villa manage to take all 3 points from their trip to West Ham. I wouldn’t expect them to lose at home as only Chelsea have managed this feat in their last 8 home League games but a draw could be on the cards as the Toffees are struggling to kill teams off.
Both these two clubs will look to the future with optimism, Everton for their steady improvement and Newcastle due to their recent run and of course the Keegan factor. I would personally back the draw on Premier 10 this weekend as the Toffees need to avoid defeat yet are not scoring enough goals to be assured a win. Whilst Newcastle have proven themselves hard to beat recently at least. The Toon haven’t won at Goodison since October 2001 and Everton have been victorious in the last 3 encounters on Merseyside with this weekend’s opponents. However, Moyes’ team are not playing well and should be happy to take a point from this fixture which will see them assured European football for their efforts this season.
Pundit’s Pick: Toffees stick in 5th spot with a point (draw) Do you agree with this result for your Premier 10 prediction? Play Now>>
Tags: Everton, Magpies, Newcastle United, Premier 10 preview, Premier League, Toffees, Toon
