Newcastle 1-0 Everton: Player ratings as Toffees come unstuck at St James’ Park

From St James’ Park – Newcastle United continued their excellent run of form and maintained the best defensive record in the Premier League with a 1-0 win over Everton.

Miguel Almiron claimed the only goal of the game to continue his only brilliant run of form as Newcastle were rarely troubled by Everton and the home side comfortably held on for the three points.

In truth, the game was a somewhat turgid affair before the scoring was opened by the home side on the half-hour.

Almiron curled home from the edge of the box – his fourth goal in four games – after nice work from Joelinton and Bruno Guiamares to tee up the Paraguayan.

Bruno, as he does most weeks, soon took charge of the game and within minutes of the opener had two good chances to double the lead – but despite beating Jordan Pickford on both occasions, the ball ran wide.

Everton struggled to lay a glove on the home side, and their only chance of the opening half came for the returning Dominic Calvert-Lewin, but he could only head Demarai Gray’s corner over the bar after beating Sven Botman and Dan Burn to the ball.

Just before the break Everton had appeals for a penalty turned down as Anthony Gordon went down with Dan Burn in close attention. It actually caused a melee between the two sets of players as Newcastle were not happy with Gordon, who was booked along with Fabian Schar.

After the break and Everton began the second-half well, and they dominated possession for large periods, but again Pope was rarely tested.

Gray looked bright and put a number of dangerous ball across Newcastle’s goal, but Calvert-Lewin was marshalled well by Botman and Schar on every occasion.

Almiron came closest to doubling Newcastle’s lead as he was given too much time on the edge of the box and again looked for a curler to Pickford’s right-hand corner but it sailed just over.

But Newcastle, who have not lost at home since April, really didn’t need a second goal as Everton failed to register a single shot on target in the game.