Sandro Tonali, Jacob Murphy and Anthony Gordon were all left on the substitutes’ bench as Newcastle made their first visit to Everton’s shiny new Hill Dickinson Stadium yesterday, having played in Marseille four days earlier, with Nick Pope, Kieran Trippier and Sven Botman missing out on the squad entirely because of injury.
Aaron Ramsdale replaced Pope to make his first Premier League start for Newcastle, Lewis Miley came into the side for only his third league start of the season and Anthony Elanga was also restored to the line-up despite having struggled since leaving Nottingham Forest in the summer.
Two seasons ago, Newcastle’s domestic form flatlined because Howe felt unable to make too many changes on a weekend despite his side’s midweek exertions in the Champions League. The injuries piled up, along with the defeats. This term, he knows he has to act differently, and if yesterday’s emphatic 4-1 victory on Merseyside is anything to go by, he might finally have a squad that is deep enough to cope.
“I was really pleased for the squad because it was a squad victory, really,” said Howe, after his side not only claimed a first league away win since April, but also recorded back-to-back league victories for the first time this season. “I made changes because I wanted no fatigue on the pitch.
“I didn’t want the feeling that I had after the Brentford and West Ham games, where I felt we were tired and lethargic. So, with that in mind, I think we have to trust the squad and use the squad.
“They repaid that faith. I thought the players that came in were excellent, and the players that remained from the previous games did well too. I thought we had a good look about us, with athleticism and pace in the right areas of the pitch. The players played very well.”
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Collectively, Newcastle were unrecognisable from the lacklustre side that had flopped at West Ham and Brentford prior to the last international break. Their aggression and intensity were back, enabling them to successfully shut down Everton’s attacking threat, and they were a constant threat on the break, counter-attacking with pace and incision as they committed numbers to the final third. The return of Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall has been integral to reigniting Newcastle’s attacking play, with the pair’s energy and athleticism on the flanks transforming their side’s ability to mix up their forward play.
Both full-backs were superb on Merseyside, but there were plenty of other notable individual performances that helped deliver Newcastle’s most complete display of the season.
Miley, who scored the Magpies’ second goal with a shot that evaded the grasp of Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, was fantastic as he slotted into midfield to replace Tonali, with his poise and assurance on the ball belying the fact that he is still just 19.
“It’s very easy to forget just how young he [Miley] is,” said Howe. “When he plays, he plays with real maturity. He very rarely gets flustered about anything, he’s very level, very calm. He’s not your normal, average teenager.”
On most days, Miley’s performance would have seen him crowned Man of the Match, but instead that accolade went to Thiaw, who excelled at both ends of the pitch. Defensively, he won more aerial duels than any other player, marking Everton’s hapless striker, Thierno Barry, out of the game, while in attack, he scored with a header in each half as he opened his goalscoring account with Newcastle.
The German has been a firm fans’ favourite ever since his chant began to ring around Brussels in September, but the quality of his performances in the last month or so have made him even more of a cult star.
“You never quite know how long it will take a new player to feel comfortable and confident within the team,” said Howe, of Newcastle’s £35m summer signing from AC Milan. “I think Malick had a little period where he had to wait because Fabian (Schar) and Dan (Burn) had done really well.
“But then Fabby got concussion and he got an opportunity, and he’s never looked back from that moment. I thought he was outstanding – two great goals, two huge moments for us.
“He’s been really consistent, and I think that’s the biggest compliment I can give him. Physically, he’s been able to handle the games, and he’s looked really strong. It was another top performance.”