Everton are aiming to beat Newcastle on Saturday to record their third win in a row in the Premier League for the first time this season.
It’s been a solid Premier League season so far for Everton, which was summarised by their spirited 1-0 win over Manchester United on Monday evening, despite having 10 men for most of the game due to Idrissa Gana Gueye’s red card.
The Toffees currently sit three points from the Champions League spots, and with Newcastle set to visit the Hill Dickinson Stadium, they will be baying for blood to move into the top half.
However, if their main attacking trio fail to impress, David Moyes could turn to two secret weapons to help the Toffees to all three points.
Everton manager David Moyes.
Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images
Carlos Alcaraz could be one secret weapon to help David Moyes’ Everton beat Newcastle
Everton signed Carlos Alcaraz on loan last season, and he immediately got to work with a goal and an assist on his away debut for the Toffees.
The Argentine only scored twice for Everton in the Premier League, away at Crystal Palace and away from home against Newcastle on the final day of the season.
He only started seven games for the Toffees last season, as well as featuring from the off in just two top-flight fixtures in the current campaign.
What an away day this was…
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But that goal against Newcastle was one of those where he was named in the starting XI, and with his header on Tyneside, Alcaraz has shown that he can feature well against the likes of Dan Burn, Sven Botman and Fabian Schar.
Alcaraz has largely been Everton’s secret weapon this season, and that experience could be enough to see a win over the line on Saturday evening.
Dwight McNeil has also shown that he knows how to beat Newcastle
It’s not just Carlos Alcaraz who has been Everton’s secret weapon against Newcastle in the past.
Although Dwight McNeil had a pretty shambolic record against the Magpies in his time at Burnley, winning just one game from six with no goal involvements, that has changed for him on Merseyside.
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Everton are unbeaten in their last four games against Newcastle, and McNeil played a huge part in the 3-0 win over the Magpies two years ago, with a late winner from distance before Abdoulaye Doucoure and Beto sealed the win – the former coming from a McNeil assist.
Evidently, Jack Grealish, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Iliman Ndiaye are Everton’s starting players for creativity, but if the Toffees are struggling to break Newcastle down, they have players who are proven to have downed Eddie Howe before.
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