THEY might never win again but Everton may just draw their way to survival.
The Toffees have now gone 108 days and 13 games since they experienced that sweet taste of victory.
However bad life has been recently, they’ve never gone so long without a win in the Premier League.
And it looked like being just the latest soul-destroying game of their miserable season until sub Dominic Calvert-Lewin bagged a potentially precious point with a late penalty.
Newcastle sub Paul Dummett was the Geordie villain. He couldn’t have been more unsubtle if he tried as he manhandled Ashley Young to the floor moments after coming on.
And the much-vilified Calvert-Lewin did the rest, burying past Martin Dubravka with his fourth goal of the season and first since October.
Having lost three on the bounce heading to Tyneside, another defeat would have been crushing.
Yet there’s now just a hint of optimism back in the ranks ahead of Saturday’s humdinger with Burnley.
Sean Dyche’s joyless side refused to go under but their lack of quality from front to back continues to alarm.
Beto is nobody’s idea of a top-flight striker and you’re in serious danger if you’re pinning your hopes on a front three of him, Dwight McNeil and Ashley Young to keep you up.
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Yet if they can somehow get Calvert-Lewin scoring and full of beans again, there may just be hope.
Newcastle had more than enough chances to finish this game off and can only blame themselves.
Alexander Isak fired them ahead with a brilliant first-half strike, and is there a deadlier striker in the Premier League?
Well, we can rule out Beto for starters.
What about Erling Haaland, I hear you say. The Manchester City machine may have three more goals than the Swede, but then again he’s played an extra seven hours across the campaign.
When it comes to goals per 90 minutes, Isak is ahead of the rest.
He’s now bagged five goals in five games and 15 from 21 this season.
The big debate on Tyneside is, if they have to sell a star this summer to comply with FFP, it would be worse to lose Isak or Bruno Guimaraes.
It might be like asking which arm you’d like cut off, but in terms of who is the most irreplaceable, it’s got to be Isak.
One of the world’s most in-demand forwards across the world, the Geordies could easily demand £100million for someone they paid Real Socicedad a club-record £60m for in 2022.
Arsenal front the queue, but that value is rising by the game right now.
The underwhelming draw put the brakes on their European charge, leaving them four points behind Manchester United having played an extra game.
Following Saturday’s sensational 4-3 win over West Ham, St James’ Park was electric from the off.
The Geordies love nothing more than abusing former Sunderland keeper Jordan Pickford and gave him hell all night.
But the England stopper was up to ask 100 seconds in to deny Harvey Barnes from point-blank range.
Everton had only scored twice in their previous seven away games in all comps, and their wasteful finishing showed no sign of ending here.
Abdoulaye Doucoure and James Tarkwowski both wasted decent early openings.
And that growing confidence was shattered in the 15th minute when red-hot Isak became the first Toon player to score in five successive Prem home games since Yoan Gouffran in 2013.
Barnes grabbed the assist with a brilliant lofted through ball down the left.
It didn’t look overly threatening as defenders tracked back but Isak made it all look so easy as he skipped past Jarrad Branthwaite and through Tarkowski before burying past Pickford in the bottom corner.
One chance, one goal, while at the other end Beto showed just why the Merseysiders are stuck in the mire – highlighted by his first sighter shanked comically wide.
Everton’s lack of quality, up top especially, is alarming.
Doucoure had another decent chance but his effort was weak and straight at Dubravka.
McNeil and Young, either side of severely limited workhorse Beto, were anonymous.
And Eddie Howe will have been frustrated not to have had the game wrapped up by the break.
One more goal would have surely done it to see off Sean Dyceh’s side, but Pickford kept them in it with a brilliant stop with his legs to deny Jacob Murphy’s stinging volley before Isak fired just over from the top of the box.
Tarkowski almost gifted Newcastle with that all-important goal at the start of the second half, skewing a clearance off his own crossbar.
Dan Burn then thought he’d bagged it after converting Isak’s low cross, only for VAR to adjudge the Swede a millimetre offside from a short free kick.
Dyche rang the chances with 30 minutes remaining, hooking Beto for Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
James Garner was also thrown on, and the midfielder went closer than anyone else within minutes when rolling a daisycutter off the inside of the post.
As ice-cool as Isak has been in front of goal, he really should have doubled Newcastle’s lead moments later but saw an unconvincing effort blocked on the line.
And they were made to pay for their profligacy when Mags sub Dummett hauled down Young in the box.
Calvert-Lewin did the rest to avoid Everton being left feeling blue again, powering home through Dubravka to claim what could be a priceless point.
See how the match unfolded below…
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
