Newcastle United vs Everton

Newcastle United and Everton are set to trade tackles at St James’ Park in a potentially future-deciding Premier League fixture for visiting manager Frank Lampard.

Despite creating numerous clear-cut chances, Newcastle United could only manage a frustrating goalless draw at Manchester United last weekend, halting a run of back-to-back league triumphs. Back to St James’ Park, where they thumped Brentford 5-1 in their latest Premier League outing, the ‘Magpies’ are looking to go unbeaten in their first six home matches of a new top-flight season for the first time since 2011/12. Eddie Howe’s men have plenty to look forward to, knowing they’ve been unbeaten in 14 of their last 15 home league fixtures (W9, D5). What’s more, the Tyneside heavyweights have only lost once across their eight previous Premier League meetings with Everton (W4, D2) following a run of eight defeats in nine H2Hs beforehand.

In the meantime, Everton followed up a 2-1 home loss to Man Utd with an equally disappointing 2-0 reverse away to Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend, sliding to 15th in the Premier League table. After taking their survival battle down to the wire last season, the ‘Toffees’ are facing the prospect of another season-long fight against the drop as they currently sit only two points clear of the relegation zone. Everton’s poor domestic form has brought Lampard’s future at Goodison Park under heavy scrutiny, with another potential defeat at St James’ Park, where they lost 3-1 last season, threatening to put the final nail in his coffin. Lampard should be forgiven for fearing for his job, considering his men are winless in their six previous midweek Premier League fixtures away from home (D4, L2).