Newcastle United's faltering Premier League campaign suffered another blow with a 1-0 home defeat to Everton on Monday. Thierno Barry's goal four minutes after the restart proved decisive, extending the Magpies' run to four losses in their last five matches across all competitions.
They are now 13 points adrift of leaders Arsenal and have a negative goal difference of minus two. The team's struggles are further highlighted by the fact they have conceded 12 goals while scoring only 10 so far this season.
Everton's decisive moment
Everton's winner came from a set-piece routine that Newcastle failed to clear. Tyrique George found space inside the penalty area and laid the ball off for Barry, who finished with a right-footed shot from close range. The goal was confirmed after a VAR review, leaving goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek with no chance.
Newcastle had opportunities to level. Anthony Elanga saw a first-half effort strike the post from a Harvey Barnes cross, while substitute Yoane Wissa was denied late on by a strong save from Jordan Pickford's feet. Despite ending the match with 52% possession and 17 shots, only two were on target, a statistic that shows their lack of cutting edge.
Disciplinary chaos in stoppage time
Newcastle's frustrations boiled over in added time when Jacob Ramsey was sent off. The match ended in a flurry of bookings, with Fabian Schär and Brennan Johnson also shown yellow for an argument.
The defeat follows a 3-1 loss at Goodison Park just five days earlier, a run of results that has seen the team concede seven goals in two games against the same opponent. Their recent form reads one win and four losses from the last five, a sequence that includes heavy defeats to Coventry and Aston Villa. The team's goal minutes data shows a worrying trend, with 8 of the 12 goals they have conceded this season arriving in the second half of matches.
Attention now turns to a key next fixture on Saturday, a trip to Craven Cottage to face 15th-placed Fulham.
