Everton vs Newcastle United

Relegation-battling Everton will be desperate to kick things off following a string of underwhelming results as they are set to welcome mid-table Newcastle United to Goodison Park.

After a 1-0 home defeat at the hands of Wolverhampton made it four Premier League losses in a row without scoring, Everton head into proceedings level on points with 18th-placed Burnley. But with three games in hand on the Turf Moor outfit, the ‘Toffees’ hold their survival hopes firmly in their hands. However, their top-flight credentials are about to face a stern test in the shape of Newcastle, a side they have failed to beat in any of their last three Premier League H2Hs at Goodison (D2, L1). The home crowd could draw some confidence from the fact Everton have racked up three victories from their five competitive matches at Goodison (L2) since Frank Lampard arrived at the helm in January. Since each of those triumphs yielded a 2+ goal margin, they could even be in for a spectacle.

On the other hand, Newcastle were moments away from making it ten Premier League games without losing before Kai Havertz’s 89th-minute winner fired Chelsea to a narrow 1-0 win at the weekend. However, the ‘Magpies’ had enjoyed a stellar nine-game undefeated league streak beforehand (W6, D3), with 67% of those victories coming by a single-goal margin. Eddie Howe’s men should feel optimistic about their chances of getting back to winning ways after beating Everton in each of their last three Premier League meetings on the trot, including a 3-1 win in the reverse fixture at St James’ Park. Another success here would see Newcastle put together four H2H victories in English league football for the first time since 1995. Connoisseurs of action-packed football may want to overlook this encounter, considering that four of Newcastle’s last five away league games have featured under 2.5 goals