Pickford is back on top but Silva’s frustrated
MARCO SILVA did his best to maintain a brave face but, by the end, it was impossible. If Anfield was all about despair, disenchantment reigned at Goodison Park.
A home date with Newcastle had been viewed by Silva as the perfect antidote to the crashing disappointment Everton had suffered in the Merseyside derby. But the fixture that they always seem to win — nine of the last 11 — ended with home supporters frustrated.
It hurt Silva. Not as much as the last-minute blow Liverpool striker Divock Origi had inflicted on Sunday, but the fact two points had been squandered against opponents who had come to wreck and disrupt Everton’s rhythm gnawed away at the Portuguese.
‘I knew before the match what they wanted to do,’ said Silva. ‘They came here with one thing in mind, to keep a strong defensive organisation with nine or 10 players behind the ball. They achieved what they wanted.’
Had it not be for Jordan Pickford, Sunday’s fall guy, Newcastle could have achieved more. In the 88th minute, with Everton’s zip completely gone, Christian Atsu cracked a drive that seemed destined for the bottom corner until England’s No 1 plunged to his left.
‘It is a normal situation for him, with his quality,’ said Silva. ‘I understand the attention on him but he helped the team and he will help the team again.’
Pickford was powerless to prevent Everton falling behind. One thing you can guarantee from a Rafa Benitez team is discipline but they also had adventure early on and it paid dividends in the 19th minute after a blistering counter attack.
The last time Salomon Rondon came to this stadium, for West Brom in a 1-1 draw on January 20, he was reduced to tears after he was caught up in an horrific, accidental collision that left Everton midfielder James McCarthy with a broken leg.
Here, however, was a significantly happier memory for the Venezuelan and it owed everything to the searing pace of Jacob Murphy, who scorched down Everton’s right before whipping a ball into the sixyard area that Rondon emphatically finished.
But Newcastle could not build on the impetus and Everton soon took over, thanks in main to the exquisite play of Andre Gomes. Only a brilliant tackle from Federico Fernandez prevented Gylfi Sigurdsson from levelling in the 35th minute when he was eight yards out.
Another superb intervention — this one a plunging save from Martin Dubravka — thwarted Richarlison 60 seconds later. But from the resulting corner the Brazil international levelled, scooping his shot high into the Gwladys Street net.
It was no more than Everton deserved and Dubravka then spread himself to block an acrobatic effort from Cenk Tosun.
‘If that goes in and it is 2-1, the match is totally different,’ said Silva through gritted teeth.
In the 59th minute, Newcastle’s Ki Sung-yeung’s glorious sweeping ball picked out DeAndre Yedlin, who ushered Atsu into the area. But the Ghanaian, who spent an underwhelming season on loan at Everton, was unable to hurt his former club.
Benitez said: ‘I have to credit my players because the application, the way they were doing everything, was fantastic. We needed to work hard in defence.
‘They have top class players so to defend well for 95 minutes was not easy.’ EVERTON (4-2-3-1): Pickford 7; Coleman 6, Mina 7, Zouma 6.5, Digne 5.5; Gueye 6, GOMES 8; Lookman 5.5 (Calvert-Lewin 78), Sigurdsson 6.5 (Walcott 69mins, 6), Richarlison 7.5; Tosun 6 (Bernard 69). Subs not used: Stekelenburg, Baines, Keane, Davies. Scorer: Richarlison 38. Manager: Marco Silva 7. NEWCASTLE (5-4-1) Dubravka 7.5; Yedlin 6, Schar 7, Lascelles 7, Fernandez 7, Manquillo 6.5; Atsu 6, Diame 7, Sung-yeung 6.5, Murphy 7 (Perez 64, 6); Rondon 7 (Joselu 74). Subs not used: Woodman, Clark, Shelvey, Muto, Longstaff. Booked: Diame, Yedlin, Schar, Fernandez, Atsu. Scorer: Rondon 19. Manager: Rafa Benitez 7. Referee: Lee Mason 7. Attendance: 39,350.