MusaEverton will be aiming to secure another victory over Newcastle United when the two sides meet in Monday night’s Premier League encounter at St James’ Park, with kick-off scheduled for 8pm.
David Moyes’ men travel to the North East just days after defeating the Magpies 3-1 in their Carabao Cup fourth-round meeting at Hill Dickinson Stadium. The Toffees will now be hoping to carry that momentum into the league fixture and collect another important three points.
However, Thursday’s cup encounter was surrounded by controversy before kick-off after Everton confirmed that Jack Grealish had been left out of the squad because of a breach of club discipline.
The winger’s absence became one of the biggest talking points ahead of the match, but Everton ensured that attention eventually shifted back to the football, producing an impressive performance to secure their place in the quarter-finals.
Goals from James Garner, Hayden Hackney and Thierno Barry helped the Merseyside club overcome Newcastle, setting up a last-eight meeting with Fleetwood Town, who have already produced a notable cup run.
This time, however, the focus returns to Premier League matters.
Everton have the opportunity to move up to seventh in the table if they can overcome Newcastle again, but Moyes must make some important decisions regarding his starting XI.
With potential returns, tactical adjustments and competition for places to consider, two Everton writers have offered their preferred line-ups for the trip to St James’ Park.
Chris Beesley wants Grealish restored immediately
Chris Beesley believes Grealish should return directly to Everton’s starting XI if he is fit enough to feature against Newcastle.
Writing after Friday’s edition of the Royal Blue podcast, Beesley revealed that he was persuaded by a suggestion from regular guest Gavin Buckland, who argued that the winger should be brought straight back into the team.
Beesley admitted that Grealish must recognise the seriousness of his disciplinary breach and understand that his actions disappointed Moyes, his teammates and the Everton supporters.
The winger’s absence was particularly frustrating because he missed a potentially important occasion at Hill Dickinson Stadium. However, Everton managed to secure a comfortable victory without him, meaning his absence did not ultimately affect the result.
Nevertheless, Beesley believes the situation could be different at St James’ Park.
He pointed out that Moyes himself had acknowledged that the away encounter would present an entirely different challenge.
Grealish’s ability to retain possession, slow the game down and win clever free-kicks could prove particularly valuable in a difficult away environment.
Beesley also referenced Everton’s historic victory at Old Trafford last season, when they became the first visiting side to win there after being reduced to 10 men. He believes Grealish’s ability to help his team manage difficult moments could be useful in another demanding away fixture.
Under his proposed selection, Grealish would return on the left wing, allowing Tyrique George to move across to the right. That would mean Tyler Dibling dropping to the bench.
Beesley also wants Harrison Armstrong restored to the midfield, although Hackney should retain his place after scoring against Newcastle on Thursday.
James Garner would move into the right-back position, while Jarrad Branthwaite would return to central defence after completing concussion protocols.
Chris Beesley’s predicted Everton XI (4-2-3-1):
Pickford; Garner, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Armstrong, Hackney; George, Dewsbury-Hall, Grealish; Barry.
Connor O’Neill wants Branthwaite back in defence
Connor O’Neill also believes Branthwaite should return to the starting line-up, arguing that Everton must select their strongest available players in their natural positions.
With the defender expected to be available again, O’Neill sees no reason for Moyes to leave him on the bench.
He considers Branthwaite Everton’s best player and believes his return would provide an immediate boost to the team’s defensive stability.
There is also a proposed adjustment at right-back, with O’Neill unconvinced by Merlin Rohl’s performance during Thursday’s cup victory.
Rather than continue with Rohl in that position, he would prefer Jake O’Brien to move across and operate on the right side of defence.
In midfield, however, O’Neill wants Moyes to maintain the same trio that started the Carabao Cup victory over Newcastle.
That would mean keeping James Garner and Hayden Hackney in the engine room, alongside Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in the more advanced role.
Although the decision would be disappointing for Harrison Armstrong, O’Neill believes Hackney deserves another opportunity after making an impression with his goal against the Magpies.
He also wants Everton to retain Tyler Dibling and Tyrique George in the wide attacking positions.
O’Neill believes the Toffees could once again have opportunities to hurt Newcastle on the counter-attack, making the pace and attacking threat of the two youngsters particularly important.
Connor O’Neill’s predicted Everton XI (4-2-3-1):
Pickford; O’Brien, Branthwaite, Tarkowski, Mykolenko; Garner, Hackney; Dibling, Dewsbury-Hall, George; Barry.
Moyes faces important selection decisions
The two predicted line-ups reveal some interesting differences in how Everton could approach the Newcastle encounter.
Both writers agree that Branthwaite should return to the starting XI and that Hackney deserves to keep his place following his impressive contribution in the cup victory.
However, their biggest disagreement concerns Grealish’s potential involvement.
Beesley believes the England international should be immediately restored if available, while O’Neill’s preferred selection keeps Dibling and George in the wide attacking positions.
The right-back position is another area of disagreement, with Beesley favouring Garner and O’Neill opting for O’Brien.
Ultimately, Moyes must decide whether to make significant changes following Thursday’s victory or retain the players who helped Everton overcome Newcastle.
The Toffees know another victory would provide a valuable boost to their Premier League campaign and potentially lift them into seventh place.
But with Newcastle determined to respond after their cup disappointment, Everton will need another disciplined performance if they are to leave St James’ Park with all three points.
Musa
