Ancelotti left stunned as Lejeune lands late double blow
If Steve Bruce can get Newcastle playing before the 90th minute, he may have a chance to qualify for the Europa League.
Always honest, Bruce struggled to explain how his side left Goodison Park with a point beyond praising the spirit of his injury-stricken
side. If the injury-time winner against Chelsea last weekend was a classic smash and grab, then securing a 2-2 draw with two injury-time goals split by only 102 seconds from Florian Lejeune was a heist akin to the Great Train Robbery.
Before Lejeune’s intervention, it was an evening of trying to put into words just how dreadful Newcastle were – although it may be no coincidence they suddenly threatened when their recognised striker was taken off.
Joelinton, whose first touch kept the linesman busy with his unnerving consistency to control the ball out of play, was substituted with 12 minutes remaining. It seemed like a concession as the away fans grumbled, as if Bruce knew the evening had to be written off.
There was zero threat to Jordan Pickford as the fourth official announced four minutes of added time. Newcastle were technically deficient in the opposition half, and Miguel Almiron was giving the performance of someone who looked like he could be given the freedom of the M1 and still find his way into a cul-de-sac.
All that was left was long hopeful balls to test the resolve of Everton’s back four, and in the ensuing scrambles Lejeune pounced – spectacularly with an overhead kick on 94 minutes, and with brute force to shove the ball over the line with the last kick of the game seconds later.
The Everton fans ended up jeering. Presumably at the sheer stupidity and carelessness of it all. “It’s probably one of the weirdest games I’ve been involved in,” said Newcastle captain Jamaal Lascelles.
Bruce concurred, almost sheepishly shaking the hand of Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti.
“I didn’t apologise. I shrugged my shoulders. He just said to me he was 3-0 up in a European Cup final. It is football, it can happen,” said the Newcastle manager.
For so long it looked like the night Moise Kean would finally offer a return on Everton’s investwatford’s
ment, his 22nd appearance bringing his first goal since a £29 million transfer from Juventus.
Despite initially miscontrolling Bernard’s assist when the teenager’s moment arrived, he was sharp enough to get away the shot that ended his drought on 30 minutes.
When Dominic Calvert-lewin added the second with a more clinical finish on 54 minutes, it seemed a matter of how many.
Ancelotti took a pragmatic view, referencing his AC Milan side’s defeat by Liverpool in 2005 in Istanbul as a reminder that nothing surprises him anymore.
“There are things in football that are unpredictable. Until the first [Newcastle] goal, no one could think Newcastle could draw the game,” he said. “The team played a fantastic game for 90 minutes. We are disappointed.”
Both sides are on 30 points with a base to look ahead rather than back, and a top-10 finish is plausible. At the very least, no Newcastle fan should vacate their seat before fulltime for the rest of this season. Everton (4-2-3-1) Pickford; Sidibe, Mina, Holgate, Digne; Schneiderlin, Delph; Bernard (Davies 83), Walcott (Niasse 88), Kean (Coleman 71); Calvert-lewin. Subs Baines, Keane, Gordon, Lossl (g). Booked Calvert-lewin. Newcastle United (5-4-1) Dubravka; Hayden, Fernandez, Lascelles, Clark (Lejeune (70), Ritchie; Almiron, S Longstaff, M Longstaff, Atsu (Krafth 62); Joelinton (Schar 78). Subs Shelvey, Darlow (g), Gibson, Allan. Booked Clark.
Referee Simon Hooper (Wiltshire).