NUFC player ratings vs Everton - One 9, two 8.5's, three 8's, four 7's and a worrying 5 for Wood
What a win this could prove to be!
A huge, huge result for the Magpies, seeing us not only secure back-to-back wins for the first time this season but move out of the bottom three - and drag Everton into trouble in the process!
We had 11 absolute warriors out there in black and white last night. Here's my marks out of 10 following a superb display at St James' Park:
Martin Dubravka - 7 - Aside from sometimes being hesitant to come off his line and sweep up in the first half, he didn’t do much wrong all night and couldn’t do anything about Everton's goal. Could've got a clean sheet on another day!
Kieran Tripper - 9* - MOTM. From start to finish, he looked the best player on the pitch, by a mile. Tenacious in the tackle, amazing presence on the pitch, dogged determination and sublime quality, not only scoring our third with a stunning free-kick but swinging in the cross for our equaliser. Signing of the season and captain material.
Jamaal Lascelles - 8 - A commanding performance from the skipper, seeing him recover brilliantly from his early OG. Brilliant header for the goal and looked totally in control of Richarlison in the second half. One silly moment where he let a long ball bounce, leading to an avoidable free-kick, but this was another solid display.
Fabian Schar - 7 - A steady showing from the Swiss. Starting to string together some good performances which is great to see. Had one moment in the first half where he almost allowed Richarlison to sneak in, but he kept his head after that and stayed switched on.
Matt Targett - 8.5 - An outstanding debut for our man on loan. Full-backs are so important in the modern game and he added real balance to our back four. Positioning was excellent throughout, made several key interceptions and put in one brilliant cross to set up Fraser in the first half. Will be a fantastic addition for the rest of the season.
Jonjo Shelvey - 7 - Booked early on for a rash challenge but recovered well. Gave away the ball once or twice in poor areas, but he is starting to put in consistent performances under the new manager. Shielded the back line well and looks fitter.
Joe Willock - 8 - After a mixed first half, Willock was outstanding in the second 45 and key to victory in the end. Pressed immensely from the off, ran himself into the ground again and caused havoc late on with a few driving runs just as they were tiring. Robbed Dele Alli of possession for the third goal and was unlucky not to score. Playing his way back into the side.
Joelinton - 7 - A quieter evening for the Brazilian tank but still a solid performance. Strong in the tackle, never stopped running and won his battles. Covers every blade, every week. Scuffed a chance in the first half - thankfully it wasn't a costly miss!
Ryan Fraser - 8 - Scored the goal his efforts have thoroughly deserved and also won the free kick that saw Trippier make it 3-1! Fraser has ran himself into the oblivion in the last few weeks and looks a new player under Eddie Howe.
Chris Wood - 5 - Looks a striker lacking confidence and struggling to fit into a new team. A few decent flick-ons, but wasn't nearly as dominant in the air as he was at Leeds. Works hard and puts himself about for the cause, but it was another game where he didn't carry any real goal threat. It's a worry to see him start slowly when Wilson looks set to be missing for the foreseeable future. Needs a goal!
Allan Saint-Maximin - 8.5 - When this guy is ON IT, he is unplayable. In the second half last night, he was ON IT. The bloke is absolutely explosive when he wants to be and he ran rings around Everton defenders at times! If he plays anyway near that level for the rest of the season - we will be absolutely fine.
SUBS:
Jacob Murphy - N/A - Hard to give any rating when he only came on at 82 minutes, but he gave us an outlet when Fraser was tiring and was unlucky not to score, seeing his effort hit the post!
Bruno Guimaraes - N/A - Only featured for the final five minutes, yet showed glimpses of quality immediately. Created one chance for ASM, won the ball back a few times and even showboated in the corner with a clever flick to Joelinton!
Javier Manquillo - N/A - Barely got a kick after coming on for Trippier in ET. Looks like he'll be starting on Sunday, with Targett ineligible against Aston Villa and Trippier an early doubt with a calf injury.
