Analysis from St James' Park as Everton earned another impressive win over Newcastle United
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall of Everton reacts to beating Newcastle (Photo by Tony McArdle/Eveton FC via Getty Images)
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall of Everton reacts to beating Newcastle (Photo by Tony McArdle/Eveton FC via Getty Images)
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With just over 25 minutes left on the clock, David Moyes stood in his technical area shaking his head. Thierno Barry had just been pushed off the ball by Dan Burn and Newcastle United had a throw in inside their own half.
At this point, this had not been Barry’s night. He struggled to get the better of Burn and although his team had been the better side, they were yet to call Lukas Hornícek into action. Barry, though, didn’t shy away from the task in front of him. And it wasn’t long before he was creating a chance for team-mate Merlin Rohl.
He would himself waste an opportunity to fire his side just before the break. But again Barry would not let his head drop and four minutes into the second-half he scored the only goal of this game.
Some will point to the fact that Barry would have struggled to miss, but not for the first time this season, he was in the right place at the right time to finish.
That was goal number eight for the season and only Erling Haaland on 13 has more in all competitions so far when it comes to forwards in the Premier League.
David Moyes was right when he said last week that Barry has limitations, he is by no means the perfect forward.
And he still has a long way to go in his development, but considering where he was this time last year, he has come on leaps and bounds.
And for as long as he continues to find himself in the right place at the time, Everton will continue to benefit.
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Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall outshines £48m star
There have been times this season when Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's form and performances have been questioned.
He hasn’t always been at his best. But perhaps that is because he set the bar so high in his first campaign with the club.
However, after Everton’s last two games, Blues supporters don’t need to worry about Dewsbury-Hall.
He is back to his best. They might have both come against Newcastle, but he has been outstanding in both games.
Here, he was the best player on the pitch. Nico Gonzalez might have cost the Magpies £48m during the summer, but he couldn’t get near the former Leicester City man.
And it was fitting that Dewsbury-Hall’s clever, quick thinking settled this game. His pass behind the Newcastle backline created the opening in which Thierno Barry pounced.
He could have already had an assist to his name by the time his team-mate scored four minutes into the second-half.
Dewsbury-Hall found Harrison Armstrong on the edge of the box, and with the last kick of the half, he looked destined to put the Blues ahead.
But the youngster got it all wrong and fired well over, but Barry would ensure that Dewsbury-Hall would end the game with an assist.
After the goal, the 28-year-old, just like the rest of his team-mates, was forced to do the ugly side of the game, but he still called Hornicek into action with an effort from range.
“I'm not here to go through the motions," Dewsbury-Hall said post-match. “I want to push for something. I'm in the prime years of my career and I want to look back on my career and say I did something big for a massive football club."
Well if he continues to perform like he did here, then he has every chance of doing something massive for the football club.
Clean sheet stats speaks volumes
Make no mistake: this was a huge win for Everton, but as ever with the Blues it was far from plain sailing.
There were certainly a couple of heart-in-mouth moments during the last 25 minutes, including one occasion when Newcastle thought they had equalised.
Anthony Elanga thought he had drawn his side level, but his effort hit the post before Vitalii Mykolenko scrambled the ball clear.
Jordan Pickford, who was, as ever, booed throughout, had very little to do in the opening 45 minutes, but he was called into action five minutes from time.
Substitute Yoane Wissa managed to find some space just inside the box, but Pickford blocked his low effort well.
But up until those moments, Matthias Jaissle’s side had struggled to break down the Blues.
And there is no denying that Everton’s backline looked much more solid with Jake O’Brien back at right-back, as he produced the sort of performance we became used to last season.
While David Moyes might not have wanted to use the Irishman in that position this season, he might have no choice but to stick with him now.
A lot of focus this season has been on Everton’s attack, especially given the disastrous and chaotic end to the transfer window.
But since David Moyes returned to Everton in January 2025, only Arsenal (31) and Manchester City (28) have kept more clean sheets in the Premier League than the Blues.
Tonight was clean sheet number 20 in that time. It is a team effort of course, sp perhaps it is time Moyes and Everton’s players got the defensive plaudits they deserve.
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Unlucky Hayden Hackney
When team news dropped 75 minutes before kick-off it was hard not to feel sorry for Hayden Hackney.
After his performance against the Magpies on Thursday night, many thought he had done enough to earn just his second Premier League start of the campaign.
However, it wasn’t to be, with David Moyes opting to go back to his tried and tested midfield three of James Garner, Harrison Armstrong and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.
The trio went on to be outstanding here, justifying Moyes' decision.
However, you still can’t help but feel for the former Middlesbrough man. He showed on Thursday night that he is too good to be watching from the bench.
Although he would get on in stoppage time, he no doubt thought he would be starting games when he moved to the Blues during the summer transfer window.
And he would have no doubt thought he was in line for more starts after impressing from the off against Crystal Palace on the opening day.
“Obviously I started the first game and then I've been on the bench for a while,” he admitted last week.
Before he added: “The lads have been good so I can't really complain. I've been working hard and when the chance came, hopefully I've took it.
“I felt like I did [start well] but it's just one of those things. You've got to be patient, respect your teammates as well, which I always will do, and hopefully take your chance when you get it.
“I think just every day in training, that's what you have to do. We went on an unbeaten run so he (David Moyes) couldn't really change the team.
“Like I said, the lads were doing really well so no complaints from me. I kept working hard and just waited for my chance."
But this is the problem facing Hackney: he did all he could on Thursday night and it still wasn't enough to earn him a start here.
He is now back waiting for his chance, but you suspect that will come, especially with a busy December ahead.
But right now it feels harsh that last season’s Sky Bet Championship Player of the Season finds himself back on the bench.