With a crucial 3-1 win over Everton, Newcastle moved out of the Premier League relegation zone, putting Frank Lampard’s team further into peril.
In the first half, Eddie Howe’s side fell behind to an own goal by Jamaal Lascelles at St. James’ Park.
The Magpies, on the other hand, had the ideal reaction on a tense Tyneside evening, as Mason Holgate’s own goal launched a thrilling comeback.
After halftime, Ryan Fraser put Newcastle ahead, and Kieran Trippier’s spectacular free-kick completed the hosts’ second consecutive victory.
Newcastle has been mired in the bottom three for the majority of the season, but they have now risen above the water as they fight to prevent relegation to the Championship..
Everton are already in serious difficulty, and incoming manager Frank Lampard will be unfazed by the enormity of the task ahead of him. On Saturday, Lampard’s first game in charge was a 4-1 FA Cup fourth-round win over Brentford.
However, the honeymoon ended more sooner than the former Chelsea manager had anticipated. Everton has dropped five of their last six Premier League games and is only one point ahead of Newcastle.
Newcastle’s Saudi-led owners failed to deliver on their promise of a star-studded shopping binge during the January transfer window.
Despite their precarious condition, Newcastle remain ambitious, as Brazil midfielder Bruno Guimaraes stated after his £33 million ($44 million) signing from Lyon last month.
Guimaraes and another transfer window addition, former Brighton defender Dan Burn, were both on the bench, although Matt Targett, on loan from Aston Villa, made his debut at left-back.
Lampard was obliged to give former Tottenham midfielder Alli his debut in the 25th minute due to an injury to Demarai Gray. Before signing Everton, Alli had also been connected with Newcastle, so the jeers from the home fans were unavoidable.
Everton believed Jonjo Shelvey should have been sent off for a challenge on Anthony Gordon, but they refocused and took the lead in the 36th minute.
Gordon’s free-kick was only half-cleared to Holgate, who had his shot clawed off the line by Fabian Schar, only for Lascelles to redirect it into his own net by accident. Newcastle drew level 60 seconds later thanks to another own goal. Surprisingly, the same two players were involved in Lascelles’ header.
Lascelles’ header from Kieran Trippier’s cross hit the bar and deflected in off Holgate’s thigh, involving the same two players.
Newcastle was on the hunt for a goal, and in a microcosm of his career’s demise, Alli made a vital error as Newcastle seized the lead in the 56th minute. Alli’s careless loss of possession allowed Allan Saint-Maximin to go on a rampage, and Fraser met his cross with a close-range finish.
Lampard retaliated by handing Van de Beek, a Dutch midfielder on loan from Manchester United, his first start.
Everton, on the other hand, had lost their way in a lethargic style that will have troubled Lampard, and Trippier struck in the 80th minute to end the game. For the first time since his move, he has a goal.
England right-back Trippier curled his free-kick beyond Jordan Pickford to trigger loud celebrations for the first time since his return to the Premier League from Atletico Madrid.
Positive hammering Newcastle were a club that tended to sit back in a low block and let the opponent get the ball under former manager Steve Bruce. Currently, under Eddie Howe, and particularly in recent games, Newcastle looks to press from the front. This was evident tonight, as Joelinton and Joe Willock, the midfield trio’s two most forward players, were quite advanced and frequently committed very high up the pitch.
This is a risky strategy, not simply because if a team can get past the press, they’ll be in good shape.
This can result in errors and a misunderstanding of where they belong in the system. Newcastle’s players, on the other hand, performed this strategy flawlessly, frequently winning the ball higher up the pitch. Specifically, when Everton attempted to build from the back, from their centre backs to their midfield.
Full-backs who are fantastic Newcastle’s greatest players, aside from Allan Saint-brilliance, Maximin’s were their full-backs. Matt Targett made his first start for Newcastle since joining on loan from Aston Villa.
And he demonstrated his class in last night’s game. On the ball, he was composed and wanted to get forward and connect up with Saint-Maximin on a regular basis.
While some of Targett’s passes did not match the runs Saint-Maximin was making, they did not always appear to be singing from the same hymn sheet.
Trippier, Newcastle’s January player of the month, has had a tremendous impact on the team since signing from Atletico Madrid in January.
He demonstrated his class once more tonight. Bombing forward and being able to generate wonderful chances for Newcastle’s strikers with his wand of a right foot. He had four opportunities and ten crosses, both of which were the most in the game. This demonstrates the team’s importance.
The Magpies have struggled with full-backs in recent years, but it appears that they have finally solved their full-back problem.
Making an impact with new signings Newcastle and Everton both spent big in January. Newcastle, under their new ownership, has become the most expensive team in the Premier League.
