Everton (H) Pre-match thoughts, team news, possible line-ups & prediction
"We can't rest on our laurels or take what we've done at this point for granted. Every challenge is so unique in the Premier League. We come up against an Everton team that will give us a different test to the one we've just faced at Old Trafford, but hopefully one we can come through."
This was Eddie Howe's message ahead of Wednesday night's clash with Everton at St James' Park, with the boss also urging fans to create that 'aggressive' atmosphere under the lights as we look to get back to winning ways after Sunday's draw at Manchester United.
With convincing wins over Fulham and Brentford followed by a solid point at Old Trafford, another victory here would boost our hopes of maintaining our top six status ahead of the World Cup break.
It's the midway point of what promises to be a tough week, with us back on the road in a few days ahead of Sunday's trip to Tottenham, so a big effort will be needed to overcome an Everton side who are likely to sit in, frustrate, throw bodies in front of the ball and hit on the counter with pace.
Injuries remain a worry, with setbacks for Allan Saint-Maximin and Alexander Isak coming just when we would've liked to rotate, but we've managed without both in recent weeks and will need to do so again here.
Hopefully we can turn St James' Park into the lion's den, give the players that extra 20% they may well need and force Jordan Pickford to falter once again on his return to the North-East!
Team news
Alexander Isak (thigh) looks set to be missing until after the World Cup break, while Allan Saint-Maximin (hamstring) has also been ruled out following another minor setback.
Fabian Schar has been passed fit, Joe Willock has recovered from illness and Jonjo Shelvey will remain on the bench, however Matt Ritchie (calf), Karl Darlow (ankle), Emil Krafth (ACL) remain absent with longer term injures.
For the Toffees, Anthony Gordon is back from a one-game ban, Mason Holgate is fit again and Dominic Calvert-Lewin could get more minutes after a couple of cameos, but Yerry Mina and Ben Godfrey remain unavailable.
Predicted line ups
(4-3-3): Pope – Trippier, Schar, Botman, Targett – Joelinton, Guimaraes, Willock – Almiron, Wilson, Fraser.
There's only so many areas where we'll be able to rotate due to injury issues and availability, so it seems likely that Matt Targett comes in for Dan Burn at left-back.
The 6ft 7' Geordie struggled to cope with Antony's pace at Old Trafford and will have Gray or Gordon to cope with in this one, meaning Targett's fresh legs and solid one-on-one defending could be valuable here.
In the middle, Sean Longstaff's lack of pace could leave us vulnerable against the likes of Iwobi, Onana, Gray and Gordon - four players who could hurt us on the counter - so I can see the athletic and fit-again Joe Willock returning to Howe's XI.
In attack, Jacob Murphy has enjoyed a decent run in the side, however this feels like a good time to start one of Ryan Fraser or Elliot Anderson. The Scott has a good relationship with Callum Wilson and point to prove after dropping out of the side, giving him the edge over Anderson.
Predicted Everton XI: Pickford - Coleman, Tarkowski, Coady, Mykolenko - Onana, Gueye, Iwobi - Gordon, Maupay, Gray.
One to watch: Anthony Gordon - The winger was heavily linked with a move to St James' Park over the summer and will return to Everton's XI here after completing a one-game ban. He gets stuck in, loves a dive, is very direct and often shoots on sight, so he'll be one to watch for all sorts of reasons.
Prediction
This will be a good test of where we're at, as I expect Everton to put men behind the ball in a bid to frustrate us; something Crystal Palace and Bournemouth did well in frustrating draws at St James' Park last month.
However, with Wilson fit again and the crowd likely to be in great voice under the lights, I think we'll find a way to break down a Blues side who've become much more solid since Coady and Tarkowski's arrival.
Wilson to bag a brace, Everton to cause issues on the counter and Toon fans to play a big part in a hard fought win on Tyneside!
Prediction: Newcastle 2-1 Everton
More of this tomorrow please, Kieran!
