Everton heading in right direction as the Ancelotti ‘bounce’ goes on
There can be no argument that Carlo Ancelotti has made an instant impact as Everton manager and his side edged a thoroughly entertaining and fantastically manic match here.
Everton’s first away win since the start of last month came thanks to two goals from Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The second was scored just after Newcastle had equalised and were starting to turn the screw in the second half.
This is the sort of game Everton have been losing and the type Newcastle have tended to win at home.
That is two wins out of two for Ancelotti and Everton’s relegation fears are already easing, a welcome and swift uplift in fortunes when you are paying someone more than £12 million a year.
It was an afternoon full of mistakes, and difficult to work out who was the better side, or even who was getting on top as the action flew from one goalmouth to the other.
Ancelotti admitted the game had been tough on his emotions
“I enjoyed the result and the performance, but it was a tough game and we lost control of it either side of halftime,” said Ancelotti. “But the reaction to conceding was good and I’ve said already the spirit in the team is very good. I have watched a lot of the Premier League while I’ve been away, this was tough, but it did not surprise me.”
A draw might have been a fair result, but Newcastle have ridden their luck too many times over the last few months to feel overly aggrieved, even if they could have been awarded a penalty in the opening seconds, raising all sorts of questions about football’s moral code.
Michael Keane impeded Miguel Almiron’s run in behind, with an arm across his chest, which knocked him off balance as he took possession of Joelinton’s through-ball.
The contact was inside the area, Keane was the last defender and, had the Paraguay international fallen, a foul and a penalty would surely have been awarded.
Except Almiron did the honourable thing, the honest thing, the good thing – he stayed on his feet and, still off balance, poked his shot just wide. “If he goes down it is a penalty and a red card,” said his manager, Steve Bruce. “They launched an attack on him the other day for going down too easily, but you feel like you should be telling him to go down because if he does, it’s a foul and a penalty. He was too honest.”
When Everton scored at the end of a period of sustained set-piece pressure, it felt even more costly. Newcastle had struggled to clear a succession of corners and Martin Dubravka had made an excellent save to deny Mason Holgate when the visitors took the lead. Gylfi Sigurdsson’s free kick was blocked twice, only to spin into the path of Calvert-Lewin, who steered the ball into the net with a neat finish.
It was threatening to be one of those days for the Magpies and so it proved, as they created a succession of chances but failed to convert them. The best moment came when Almiron was picked out, after some excellent work by Jetro Willems on the left, only for his shot to hit the inside of the post and spin out. Andy Carroll was there to tap in the rebound, but was clearly offside.
As in the first half, Everton started the second period well and only magnificent goalkeeping from Dubravka prevented Moise Kean from finishing a breezy run through the middle.
Newcastle, though, as they have so often this season attacking downhill towards the Gallowgate End, found a goal. Willems won, then delivered a free-kick, which was nodded down by Carroll for Fabian Schar to hook home.
The momentum appeared to be with the home team, but Everton retook the lead minutes later. Carroll lost the ball on the halfway line, allowing Richarlison to sprint clear down the right before squaring the perfect cross for Calvert-Lewin to bundle in with an outstretched foot. It drained the energy from Newcastle’s players and the noise from the crowd.