Newcastle United 2 Everton 1
Steve Bruce has been reading Carlo Ancelotti’s autobiography, Quiet leadership, and reports it worthy of the sort of five-star review his own team deserved after derailing Everton’s bright start to the season.
Indeed the suspicion was that Newcastle United’s manager had seized inspiration from his book at bedtime because, with the exception of the debut-making Robin Olsen, Ancelotti’s admittedly somewhat ersatz side were decidedly second best as they succumbed to two Callum Wilson goals.
With Séamus Coleman injured and Lucas Digne and Richarlison suspended, Ancelotti was forced into a reshuffle. It involved the selection of five natural central midfielders in a solid looking visiting starting XI low on pace and width.
That ensemble also lacked Jordan Pickford, the England goalkeeper having been demoted to the bench. Everton’s manager disagreed with those who said Pickford had been dropped and instead claimed he was, for one match only, being “rested”.
The former Sunderland goalkeeper will have been disappointed not to face a Newcastle team he has long relished attempting to undo. His unwanted seat on the sidelines offered him a rather dull view of a decidedly low-octane first half.
If featured an experimental 4-2-3-1 Everton formation in which Ancelotti had apparently instructed Fabian Delph to shuttle between a holding midfield role and stand-in cameos at left back whenever Niels Nkounkou attempted, usually forlornly, to compensate for the lack of width by advancing from the left of defence.
Olsen, Pickford’s replacement, initially had little to do on his Premier League debut. More than 30 minutes had passed before the Sweden goalkeeper, on loan from Roma, was called to arms after Newcastle counterattacked smartly from an Everton corner and Miguel Almirón and Wilson combined cleverly to create a shooting chance for Allan Saint-Maximin. Olsen suddenly needed to show his mettle but, rising to the challenge, he advanced from his line, spread himself and, exuding competence, saved the Frenchman’s attempted dink. Maybe Pickford has serious competition at club, as well as international, level after all?
Bruce looked considerably happier than Ancelotti and, at half-time, had reason to believe that Newcastle’s return to a revamped version of 3-5-2 had afforded his side the sort of much-needed stability that looked capable of also serving as a counterattacking springboard.
This mood of rare optimism was symbolised by the stunning rainbow that appeared in the second half, arcing over the Gallowgate End in the wake of a rain shower. Appropriately enough its arrival coincided with Wilson giving Newcastle the lead from the penalty spot after the scorer’s stumble in the face of André Gomes’s clumsy challenge. Wilson had evidently avoided being distracted by the escalation of a long-running dispute with Yerry Mina in the preamble to the penalty that resulted in the striker being booked.
When Sean Longstaff subsequently collected Wilson’s shrewd pass, swivelled sharply and shot low Newcastle looked set to double their lead but Olsen saved brilliantly.
The goalkeeper had no answer to Wilson though as the striker evaded his reach for a second time in the 84th minute. This time Jamal Lewis’s long pass liberated Ryan Fraser, on for Saint-Maximin and, with the Scotland winger having dodged Mina’s attempted challenge, all that remained was for his lofted cross to deflect off the back-pedalling Mina and be steered home from close range at the far post by the well positioned Wilson.
Although Dominic Calvert-Lewis reduced the deficit in stoppage time after getting a toe to Alex Iwobi’s deflected cross, Newcastle were worthy winners. – Guardian
