This Newcastle dud let Eddie Howe down badly in defeat at Everton.
With Newcastle United and Everton tied at 0-0 entering into the last 15 minutes of normal time, few would have expected the scoreline when the referee blew to indicate the end of the game last night.
Everton won 3-0 in front of their home fans, taking them out of the relegation zone and giving them more points in the Premier League than Chelsea. That is, if it weren’t for their deduction.
Newcastle, on the other side, will be upset by how the game ended.
The Magpies were second best throughout the game, and head coach Eddie Howe will be frustrated with several of his players’ performances, particularly Kieran Trippier, who has been so consistent since joining the club over two years ago.
Kieran Trippier’s stats vs Newcastle
Trippier arrived at St. James’ Park in 2021 after winning the La Liga title with Atletico Madrid. According to England manager Gareth Southgate, the Magpies were getting a “defensive animal,” and he wasn’t wrong as the fullback has been sensational since joining the Geordie outfit and has been Newcastle’s second-highest-rated player this season, according to Sofascore, with an average rating of 7.55.
The Three Lions international, on the other hand, will want to forget his performance at Goodison Park as quickly as possible. Trippier made the most passes during the game, but he also made the most errors that resulted in a goal, with two.
Dwight McNeil nicked the ball and smashed it past Martin Dubravka into the net to open the score and seal the three points thanks to Trippier’s sloppy control.
🔵🤩 Dwight McNeil robs the ball from Kieran Trippier and fires Everton into a 1-0 lead!#EVENEW | @EvertonBlueArmy pic.twitter.com/YzQ5mjS44f
— The Sportsman (@TheSportsman) December 7, 2023
Just a few minutes later, Trippier played the ball straight to Jack Harrison who crossed it low across the box for Abdoulaye Doucoure to fire home the second, before eventually playing Beto onside as Everton wrapped up the game in the seventh minute of stoppage time.
It's two for Everton! ✌️
There's another defensive mistake from Kieran Trippier and this time it's Abdoulaye Doucouré who puts the ball in the back of the net 👏#PLonPrime #EVENEW pic.twitter.com/DpZZQQBSr7
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) December 7, 2023
Trippier won 71% of his ground and aerial duels and created two chances for Newcastle throughout the game, according to FotMob, but his big assist in handing the hosts all three points cannot be overlooked.
However, there was one player in Merseyside who was perhaps as terrible as the ex-Tottenham Hotspur defender.
Miguel Almiron’s performance in numbers
While Trippier stood out like a sore thumb in the final moments of the game, Miguel Almiron did everything except stand out. The Shields Gazette gave the Paraguay international a 4/10 match rating, saying he was “guilty of some questionable decision-making.”
The 29-year-old had three shots on goal against the Toffees and contributed 0.54 of Newcastle’s total 1.58 xG, but he failed to convert a single chance, including a golden opportunity in the 82nd minute that would have leveled the game for the visitors.
A big opportunity for Newcastle is wasted! 😫
Miguel Almirón is set free, but it's a tame effort that Jordan Pickford can save easily#PLonPrime #EVENEW pic.twitter.com/5wOqO6vFr8
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) December 7, 2023
At Goodison Park, Almiron also lost possession of the ball 12 times, wasted two major chances, lost 67% of his total take-ons, and failed to produce a single opportunity for his colleagues, who exited the field without a single goal to show for their efforts.
The attacker has now scored just two goals in 15 Premier League games this season, with his most recent coming in a 2-0 win over Burnley at the end of September. The Paraguayan is now on an eight-game winless streak for the Mags, and his performance last night may have pushed him out of the starting lineup.
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