5 Telling Stats from Everton’s Perplexing 2-2 Draw with Newcastle

What the hell just happened!?

Only Everton can play so well for 93 minutes and still blow it like that.

Small Margins

6 inches earns Newcastle a point

Despite Everton controlling the game from start to finish, Newcastle picked up a 95^th minute equaliser, as Jordan Pickford wasn’t able to quite keep out the last dash scramble.

But football is often a game of small margins and that was absolutely the case at Goodison Park.

Could the Blues have slowed the game down better? Should Bernard have made the slow walk off rather than taking the perimeter of the pitch? Can Tom Davies avoid that unnecessary foul on the halfway line that allowed Newcastle to pile everyone forward?

You’ve got to stay switched on for 90 93 95 minutes

Panic kills Blues

While the first goal could have been prevented, the second goal absolutely should have been prevented.

Tom Davies made an awful cameo appearance, but the moment that crushed the Blues was giving away a foul on the halfway line straight conceding the first goal, enabling Newcastle to go gung ho for the last moment of the game. Giving away that foul was the worst thing we could have done at that time, but his subsequent lackadaisical defending in the box was almost as unforgivable.

Kean keen

Best performance yet for Everton

While the result was beyond frustrating, it was actually a very good performance from the Blues for 93 minutes and, especially from young Moise Kean.

As well as getting his first goal for the club, he completed 100% (!) of his passes and earned three fouls. But one of the most impressive elements of his performance were his strong, direct runs at the Newcastle defence. The Italian completed three powerful dribbles – something that is normally lacking greatly amongst the Everton team.

More of this.

Bernard

Hybrid LM/CAM

The little Brazilian was magic against Newcastle, but his position was especially interesting.

Defensively, he took up the position in front of Lucas Digne on the left of midfield. However, when the Blues got the ball, he moved more centrally, occupying the attacking midfield spot, as you can see from his heatmap below.

WhoScored

Calvert-Lewin

7 goals in 9 games

Another positive came in the form of Everton’s number nine.

This was probably the most composed performance I’ve seen from DCL and he looks like he’s now really growing into the role of being our main striker.

As well as netting his seventh goal in nine games, he completed a remarkable 90% of his passes, won six aerial duels and made three key passes.

Urgh… Everton.