Dominic Calvert-Lewin converted a late penalty against Newcastle United as Everton gained a vital point in their battle to avoid relegation to the Sky Bet Championship.
The Blues headed into the game at St James’ Park on the back of a disappointing 2-1 defeat at the hands of Bournemouth on Saturday. The point in the North East keeps the Blues four points above the drop zone heading into this weekend’s games.
Off the pitch, the takeover saga continues, although 777 Partners is confident of meeting the Premier League’s criteria for approval of their proposed takeover of the Goodison Park club. So, with everything in mind, our Everton jury are back to have their say on matters on and off the pitch.
In what was a very Everton week, Dominic Calvert-Lewin broke his goal drought to send the travelling fans home happy.
When Seamus Coleman chested into his own net at the Vitality, you may have been forgiven for thinking that through this method, Everton had ruined your weekend. However, you were wrong because Easter Sunday brought more bad news, and the club announced an annual loss of £89.1 million. You don’t need to be an accountant to understand how worrying that is.
Anyway, social media was a pit of negativity before the Newcastle match. Many questioned the manager’s decision to start Ben Godfrey and Ashley Young on the right flank. A decision (in some way at least) proved to be the correct one, with Young winning the late penalty.
Undeservedly, Everton snatched a point at St.James’ Park. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was the most relieved man in the northeast when Martin Dubravka’s hand could not quite stop his penalty from crossing the line. The point may prove important in the run-in, but there’s no getting away from the lack of quality in the performance. For large periods, Everton looked toothless and bereft of ideas. The defence remained solid, with Vitaliy Mykolenko clearing Alexander Isak’s shot off the line to prevent the home side from doubling their advantage.
