Everton have claimed their first victory at Goodison Park since November courtesy of a 3-0 win over relegation-threatened Newcastle United.
The visitors, buoyed by their January signings, never got out of first gear and were on the back foot from the first whistle.
The Toffees only needed 23 minutes to break the deadlock. Aaron Lennon found himself on the edge of the penalty area, and was afforded plenty of time to turn, and stroke the ball past Rob Elliot.
The hosts continued to dominate in the early stages of the second half, and were unlucky to not extend their advantage as Elliot pulled off a string of fine saves.
WIN! £50 voucher from Classic Football Shirts up for grabs!
The Geordies then had a small period of play where they threatened, with Aleksandr Mitrovic missing a golden chance which would have scored his side an equaliser.
Everton got the second goal they were after when Rolando Aarons fouled Lennon and Ross Barkley had no trouble converting.
There was still enough time for things to get worse for Steve McClaren’s side. Barkley was one-on-one with Elliot before he was bought down by Jamaal Lascelles. The young defender was given his marching orders and the England international made it 3-0 with a cheeky chip which evaded Elliot.
McClaren gets tactics wrong
Steve McClaren opted for a 4-2-3-1 with Ayoze Perez playing in the lone striker role. Newcastle fans will know from last season that the spaniard is incapable of playing this kind of role because with his small stature and Newcastle’s tendency to play in the air, he needs someone to work with.
READ MORE: EPL – Player Ratings – Everton 3 Newcastle United 0
Unsurprisingly, the young striker had a limited impact. McClaren again raised a few eyebrows when he decided to bring Rolando Aarons on at left-back instead of getting another striker on. Aside from the fact that Aarons was out of position, it meant that there was not enough substitutes available for Seydou Doumbia to make his debut which could have added an extra dimension to the Magpies’ attack.
Barkley sends a message to Roy Hodgson
With the European championships just around the corner, the pressure is on for all English players to perform and get in the squad. One player who did his chances no harm was Ross Barkley, who ran rings around a Newcastle midfield that was strengthened over January. A dominating performance with two goals (albeit from the penalty spot) will catch the eye of England manager Hodgson as he begins to assemble his list of 23 players that will go to France.
Defence remains a serious problem for Toon
Despite spending £28million in January, not one pound was spent on a defender and it showed at Goodison Park. For the first goal, neither Fabricio Coloccini or Chancel Mbemba closed down Lennon, and in the second half they needed several top quality saves from Elliot to stay in the match. If not for the Irish custodian, Everton could have very well ended up scoring five or six goals.
What is more concerning is the lack of cover in this department. Paul Dummett is presumably injured after going off at half time, and Chancel Mbemba did not last 45 minutes as he went off with a foot injury. Additionally, Jamaal Lascelles was sent off and is suspended for the crucial game against West Brom this weekend. It remains to be seen if Mbemba and Dummett will be fit enough to play in less than 72 hours, but either way it seems like the Geordies will struggle to keep many more clean sheets this season.
What are your thoughts? Let us know by dropping a comment below via our Facebook comment box. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @Outside90 and like us on Facebook.
