Newcastle United swept aside Everton with a commanding 4-1 victory at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, delivering one of their most complete away performances of the season and exposing deep defensive frailties in David Moyes’ side.
The visitors were relentless from the very first minute, attacking with intensity, purpose and confidence, while Everton struggled to respond and were overwhelmed by Newcastle’s physicality, movement and clinical finishing.
The tone was set almost immediately. Newcastle stormed forward with their first attack, and before the stadium had fully settled, Malick Thiaw powered in a header with less than a minute on the clock.
It was the fastest goal of the Premier League season and a dramatic early blow that caught Everton completely flat-footed. The home side had barely touched the ball, and already they were chasing a game against opponents who looked sharper, quicker and hungrier.
Everton attempted to steady themselves after the early setback, but Newcastle sensed weakness and pressed aggressively, swarming the midfield and denying the hosts any time to build rhythm. Without Idrissa Gueye, who was serving a suspension, Everton lacked their usual bite and structure in midfield.
Tim Iroegbunam, brought in to fill the gap, struggled under pressure and could not offer the same cover or control, leaving Newcastle with far too much space to play between the lines.
The second goal arrived midway through the first half and again exposed Everton’s disorganisation. Lewis Miley picked up a loose ball on the edge of the box after a poor clearance and calmly slotted it past Jordan Pickford.
It was a simple finish, but one made possible by Everton’s failure to track runners or clear their lines. Newcastle were executing their game plan perfectly, while Everton were unraveling with alarming ease.
From there, the visitors sensed the opportunity to kill the game before halftime, and they did so through Nick Woltemade. Slipping between Everton’s centre-backs, he raced onto a through ball and finished with an audacious chip over the advancing Pickford, a finish that oozed confidence and underlined the gulf in composure between the two sides.
At 3-0, the atmosphere inside the stadium turned tense and unforgiving. Frustration grew in the stands, and the hosts trudged into the break looking disjointed and lost.
Moyes made changes at the interval, withdrawing Iroegbunam and attempting to tighten the midfield, but any hopes of a second-half resurgence were extinguished within minutes. Newcastle won a set-piece, and once again Everton’s marking was nonexistent.
Thiaw rose highest, completely unchallenged, to head in his second of the night and Newcastle’s fourth. It was another damning indictment of Everton’s defending, a phase of play that summed up their evening: slow to react, poorly organised and unable to cope with Newcastle’s physical presence.
At 4-0, Newcastle eased into full control. They moved the ball confidently, dictated tempo in midfield and showed discipline in maintaining their structure.
Bruno Guimarães orchestrated play superbly, calmly recycling possession and feeding the attacking players, while the front line continued to stretch Everton’s defence with movement and pace.
Everton finally found a lifeline in the 70th minute when Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall produced a neat finish after a rare moment of cohesive buildup. The goal lifted the crowd and briefly injected some urgency into Everton’s play.
For a moment, it appeared the home side might salvage pride, if not points, from the contest. Minutes later, they thought they had a second when Thierno Barry bundled the ball into the net, and celebrations erupted.
However, VAR intervened and the goal was ruled out for handball, extinguishing any faint hopes of a comeback.
Newcastle then regained control and slowed the game to their preferred rhythm, professionally seeing out the final stages. Their defenders handled Everton’s late pressure well, and their midfielders continued to snuff out counterattacks decisively.
The visitors showed both ambition and maturity, mixing ruthless attacking play with disciplined defensive organisation.
For Everton, the final whistle brought a chorus of boos from home supporters, who had watched their side succumb far too easily. This was a match that raised serious questions about the team’s mentality and tactical cohesion.
For Newcastle, this victory was a statement. It marked their first away win of the season and demonstrated their attacking potential when everything clicks.