Newcastle Vs Everton: Thierno Barry’s late winner leaves Magpies reeling as European fixtures take toll
Everton beat Newcastle 3-2 at St James' Park, with substitute Thierno Barry bundling home a late winner, in a result that matters because it compounds Newcastle’s Premier League decline amid a demanding Champions League schedule. Newcastle Vs Everton produced a dramatic finish — and a fresh set of questions for Eddie Howe and his side.
Newcastle Vs Everton — how the game unfolded
The visitors took the lead from a set piece when Jarrad Branthwaite flicked James Garner’s corner into the far corner. Sandro Tonali then threaded a defence-splitting pass to Jacob Ramsey; Ramsey’s shot took a deflection and looped over Jordan Pickford to make it 2-1. Just 105 seconds later Nick Pope spilled a Dwight McNeil swerving effort and Beto smashed the rebound into an empty net, giving Everton a half-time lead.
Newcastle responded in the second half when Jacob Murphy struck from Joelinton’s cross to level, but Everton regained the lead almost immediately when Thierno Barry bundled the ball in straight from the restart. A late Tonali volley appeared to threaten an equaliser only for Jordan Pickford to produce a stoppage-time flying save to deny it, securing Everton’s 3-2 victory.
Set pieces, errors and defensive frailties
Newcastle conceded from a corner kick and were punished by a spilled save from Nick Pope, while their central defensive display contrasted sharply with Branthwaite’s composed defending for Everton. The home side’s leakiness is acute: they have kept only two clean sheets in 21 league games and have gone 11 matches without a shutout since the 3-0 win over PSV Eindhoven on 21 January, conceding 23 goals in that run. The defeat also marked a third consecutive home loss for Newcastle for the first time since February 2021 under Steve Bruce.
Subs, positional experiments and in-game turmoil
Howe made six changes after resting a number of key players in the 3-2 win against Qarabag on Tuesday. That rotation produced unconventional positional switches: Joelinton started on the left, Nick Woltemade — described in the match context as a £69m Germany striker — began in an attacking midfield role, and Anthony Gordon led the line as a centre-forward. When Gordon struggled, Woltemade was moved to No 9 and Gordon shifted to the left.
The contest saw further disruption when Jacob Ramsey vomited repeatedly and was replaced by Joe Willock. Anthony Elanga and Woltemade were later substituted for Jacob Murphy and Harvey Barnes as Howe again sought attacking options. Beto, making his first start since December, was clean through and hit the bar before being replaced by Thierno Barry; Everton also introduced Yoane Wissa, described here as a £55m former Brentford centre-forward.
Emotions, atmosphere and pivotal moments
Rain fell incessantly as the match finished; Eddie Howe was left wandering the pitch alone as Everton celebrated a deserved win and Newcastle’s hopes of a top-six finish took a blow. Fans chanted for a revival, with cries of “Wake up!” heard around St James' Park. A stunning stoppage-time save from Jordan Pickford denied Sandro Tonali a late equaliser and sealed the drama.
What it means for both clubs
For Newcastle the defeat feels like a huge step backwards after a recent rally that saw the players win four of five matches in all competitions following the Brentford reverse. Howe has admitted this month he was not doing his job well enough and embarked on a period of soul-searching; he has also acknowledged that in the Premier League their form has not been good enough and that the deluge of games related to European competition can sway focus. The club now sit languishing in 12th place in the top flight and have just one win in their last seven Premier League games.
For Everton, the result was a response to a recent defeat to Manchester United and lifted them back into the top eight while extending an unbeaten run of six away matches as they continue an unlikely push for a European place. Beto’s goal was his fourth Premier League strike of the season, and the late contribution from Thierno Barry proved decisive.
Next steps and immediate outlook
Newcastle still have a mouth-watering last-16 Champions League tie against Barcelona on the calendar, but Premier League fixtures are running out for the Magpies to arrest their domestic slide. The team must address defensive frailties, positional experiments that did not work, and the psychological toll the congested schedule appears to be taking. Recent developments indicate these issues will remain central talking points as the season progresses; details may evolve.
