Everton 0-0 Newcastle: Toon waste big chance to win final game at Goodison

Our final game at Goodison Park and a missed chance to take all three points as a lack of quality when it mattered and missed penalty from Anthony Gordon saw the match end 0-0.

We came into the game enjoying our best start to a Premier League season for 13 years, but we had a point to prove away from home after such an awful display at Fulham in our last match on the road.

The performance was OK in patches - we controlled large parts of the game, our energy levels were far better than previous away days and we created enough openings - but our final ball or finish was often lacking and leaves us wondering what might've been. It was a decent away performance in two-thirds of the pitch, but feels like a chance missed and a game we'd have won with Isak or Wilson fit.

The result sends us into the international break sixth in the table and on 12 points after our opening seven games, although Spurs could go above us tomorrow should they win at Brighton.

As expected, we stuck by the same 11 that held Man City to a 1-1 draw last weekend, seeing Lewis Hall, Kieran Trippier, Sandro Tonali and Jacob Murphy keep their place in the side, while the Toffees were missing two first choice defenders in Jarrad Branthwaite and Vitaly Mykolenko.

We made a half decent start and came within a whisker of going 1-0 up on 10 minutes as a corner fell to Bruno at the back post from Tonali's glancing header. The Brazilian struck his volley back across goal and Pickford was beaten, only for Ndiaye to somehow scramble off the line.

Calvert-Lewin was proving a handful for our centre-back, but it was Doucoure who headed the ball into the back of the net on 18 minutes - only to be flagged for offside after replays showed he'd gone just beyond Schar from Garner's cross. That was our warning and a wake up call, lifting the Goodison Park crowd even if their celebrations were short-lived.

Gordon looked sharp and was picking up pockets of space when coming short, although we had to target Everton's full-backs; a 39-year-old Ashley Young and a midfielder at right-back in James Garner. Tonali also had to sharpen up in midfield, as the all-action Italian had lost the ball poorly on a couple of occasions in the first 25 minutes.

Tonali hadn't started particularly well but he was hauled to the floor by James Tarkowski as Murphy's shot flew over the bar. It was a stonewall penalty and VAR agreed, as Craig Pawson pointed to the spot after a pitch-side review. Who else but Anthony Gordon stepped up and, after boos and jeers from the Blue majority of Goodison, it was a poor spot kick and saved by who else but Jordan Pickford.

https://twitter.com/SkySportsPL/status/1842621000233402617

A huge chance missed to take this game by the scruff of the neck, a horrible moment for our usually composed No.10 and suddenly the atmosphere shifted, sparking a bearpit feel to Goodison Park. Saying that, we - or Gordon - didn't let the miss impact us and continued to look the better side.

I couldn't fault or effort levels and enthusiasm in the first half, but quality in the final third was sorely lacking. Everton looked poor, had a patched up back four and seemed there for the taking if we could sharpen up our final pass or shot in the second 45.

We came out from the break much the same. We were the better side and had a good tempo to our play, but that final ball was missing again, as openings down the left side between Hall, Barnes and Joelinton all came to nothing despite us getting into some great positions. The lack of No.9 was telling, with us often missing that presence, run or finishing touch in the box.

That theme continued after a cut-back fell to Gordon, who left for Bruno before the Brazilian's poor effort was scooped over the ball. It was a big chance, but it was another promising opening we couldn't make the most of and Howe didn't take long to make his first change minutes later as Miguel Almiron replaced Barnes.

Sloppy passes continued to be a theme, this time it was in our own half as Tonali gifted Everton the ball in an awful position. Calvert-Lewin forced Pope into a big save from the resulting attack and the rebound saw Burn and Calvert-Lewin collide before Gueye fired a huge chance over. He should've scored and Everton fans wanted a penalty, but VAR waved it away as replays showed DCL's leg in fact kicked Burn's.

More changes followed as Howe brought on Joe Willock, Sean Longstaff and Tino Livramento, with Murphy, Tonali - who had been strangely sloppy in possession -  and Trippier making way. The latter had clearly picked up an injury and signalled to the bench he needed to come off, giving us fresh injury concern heading into the international break.

Everton had managed just nine touches in our box and we'd had 10 corners to their zero, but only the scoreline mattered with 10 minutes to play as we pushed for a late winner. It looked like we were starting to tire, yet our biggest chance of the match, penalty aside, fell to Gordon once again. He broke down the right, burst into the box and just when you hoped he'd silence the home crowd and make up for that earlier miss, he blazed over the bar.

Another big moment came our way that summed up our night. Livramento did superbly to burst free before Bruno and Joelinton got the ball through to Almiron. However, he couldn't get the ball out of his feet and scuffed a poor effort that was blocked by Tarkowski.

Before four minutes of stoppage time was signalled, another half chance came our way as Joelinton fired well wide. At the other end. an Everton counter attack then ended in a yellow for Schar, who brought down Calvert-Lewin with a blatant trip.

Next up, another international break before we welcome