Newcastle Vs Everton — newcastle vs everton: Everton win 3-2 at St James' Park

In a match that felt painfully familiar for Eddie Howe, newcastle vs everton finished 3-2 as substitute Thierno Barry scored a late winner at St James' Park. The defeat leaves Newcastle languishing in 12th place while Everton extended an impressive away run.

Newcastle Vs Everton match recap

The scoring began from a corner as James Garner's delivery found Jarrad Branthwaite, whose header brushed the far post and went in to give Everton the lead. Jacob Ramsey then struck with a deflected effort that wrong-footed Jordan Pickford and levelled the game, only for Beto to restore Everton's advantage after Nick Pope spilled Dwight McNeil's swerving shot into the striker's path. Jacob Murphy fired Newcastle back into the contest with an equaliser, but substitute Thierno Barry bundled Everton back in front straight from the restart to make it 3-2.

Goals and decisive moments

Branthwaite's opener arrived from James Garner's corner and was dispatched from a tight angle. Jacob Ramsey's deflected strike produced a leveller, and Beto struck after Pope's mistake to make it Everton's second; Sky's coverage noted it was Beto's fourth Premier League goal of the season. Newcastle had shown a habit of late goals this season — they had scored 19 goals in the final quarter of an hour prior to kick-off — and Howe introduced attacking options to chase a 20th. Murphy's volley drew Newcastle level, but Barry's late intervention proved decisive. Sandro Tonali thought he had a stoppage-time equaliser only for Jordan Pickford to produce a flying save to deny him.

Howe's comments and accountability

Eddie Howe said: "I have a similar feeling, " after a 3-2 home defeat that mirrored an earlier loss to Brentford at this stadium a few weeks ago. He acknowledged personal scrutiny, having admitted this month that he was not doing his job "well enough" as he embarked on a period of soul-searching. On the team's form he said: "In relation to the Premier League, our form has not been good enough for a while. We know that. We take responsibility for that. It's been really frustrating for us - and that's the perils of Europe, I'm afraid. We have tried to be laser-focused on every game and give every attention to every game with the same importance but, with the deluge of games, your focus can be swayed. "

Selections, substitutions and incidents

Howe made six changes after giving a number of key players some form of a rest in the 3-2 win against Qarabag on Tuesday. That led to awkward positional choices: Joelinton started on the left, Nick Woltemade was fielded in midfield and Anthony Gordon led the line. Howe initially began with Anthony Gordon at centre-forward and his "ineffective £69m Germany striker, Nick Woltemade, " in an attacking midfield role, later shifting Woltemade to No 9 and Gordon to the left. At the start of the second half, Jacob Ramsey vomited repeatedly on the pitch and was replaced by Joe Willock. Anthony Elanga and Woltemade were later replaced by Jacob Murphy and Harvey Barnes as Gordon reverted to centre-forward. Beto, making his first start since December, left Malick Thiaw for dust and had a shot that hit the bar before being substituted for Thierno Barry, while Yoane Wissa, the £55m former Brentford centre-forward, also came on.

Defensive problems and club context

Observers noted a lethargy and defensive lapses from Newcastle. The side have kept only two clean sheets in 21 league games and had not kept a clean sheet in the 11 games since they beat PSV Eindhoven 3-0 here on 21 January, conceding 23 goals along the way. This defeat was their third consecutive home loss for the first time since February 2021 under Steve Bruce. Cries of "Wake up!" echoed around St James' Park as fans reacted to a team that, in Howe's words quoted elsewhere after the game, is "wildly inconsistent" and sometimes "over-trying. "

Newcastle still have continental commitments, with a mouth-watering last-16 Champions League tie against Barcelona on the horizon; the club's Champions League campaign is cited in explaining some of the team's fatigue. Howe warned of the fixture congestion, saying the deluge of games can sway focus. Players had rallied earlier in the season, eager to show they were "fighting for the manager" after the Brentford reverse, and the squad did win four of their next five matches in all competitions, but this result felt like a huge step backwards.

Standings and reaction

The result means Newcastle have just one win in their last seven Premier League games, while Everton remain unbeaten in their last six away from home as they continue an unlikely push for a European place. Everton responded to a defeat to Manchester United on Monday Night Football and climbed back into the top eight. After the final whistle, with rain falling, Eddie Howe wandered around the pitch alone as Everton celebrated a deserved win and Newcastle's lingering hopes of a top-six finish looked to have been damaged.

Howe reflected: "It's really hard to explain. " He added later: "It's hugely frustrating, desperately disappointing. We think we're a good team, but we're wildly inconsistent, even within games. I don't see players not trying, I sometimes see them over-trying, but they're not playing smart enough. Chasing the game took a lot out of us. It's not a good look for us. "

Newcastle will need to address clear defensive issues and the strain of multiple competitions as they seek to revive their league form, while Everton will take heart from a late winner and continued strong away form.