JUST IN: DAVID MOYES HAILS DEWSBURY-HALL’S PERFORMANCE AS "BEST SINCE INJURY RETURN."
Everton win a 3-2 thriller: Read how Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Jordan Pickford inspired a seventh away victory at St James’ Park.
David Moyes couldn’t stop praising Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Even as Dewsbury-Hall made his way to the bench, Moyes followed, still full of compliments. If this match had been at Goodison Park, 50,000 Everton fans would’ve been on their feet, cheering him on. But this was an away game, and everyone – Moyes, his staff, and the 3,000 travelling supporters – was focused on holding their nerve and seeing the job through. Eight tense minutes and one brilliant Jordan Pickford save later, they were all celebrating Everton’s seventh away win of the season.
Plenty of Royal Blue shirts deserved credit for that, but Pickford’s heroics behind enemy lines stood out. Still, Dewsbury-Hall really pulled the strings. He's become the heartbeat of Moyes’ Everton.
When Jacob Murphy’s scruffy volley deflected past Pickford in the 83rd minute, Everton could’ve let their heads drop. Newcastle had thrown everything at them in the second half, pinning them back, but Everton handled the pressure with surprising composure.
Murphy’s goal came after Newcastle’s second equaliser of the afternoon. Pickford was left stranded when an Everton defender’s desperate block awkwardly redirected the ball past him.
At that point, you’d bet on Newcastle going for the win. Dewsbury-Hall had other plans.
Home fans were still celebrating when Dewsbury-Hall, the former Chelsea man, burst through a crowd of black and white shirts, driving deep into the box. He sent in a cross that landed perfectly for Thierno Barry, who bundled it in, which sparked wild celebrations among the Everton fans tucked high up in St James’ Park.
What made this response so impressive was that it wasn’t the first time Everton had bounced back. They’d taken the lead in the 20th minute when Jarrad Branthwaite powered home James Garner’s corner. After a frustrating effort against Manchester United on Monday, where Everton barely tested Senne Lammens, it took just one well-worked set piece for the story to change. Branthwaite’s header ricocheted in off the post after a lively start.
Fifteen minutes later, Newcastle pulled level. You could see it coming, but there was still a big slice of luck: Jacob Ramsey’s shot took a deflection off Branthwaite and left Pickford helpless.
But Everton didn’t sulk. Within two minutes, they were back in front. Dwight McNeil, making a surprise return to the starting lineup after his Crystal Palace move fell through, let fly from distance. Nick Pope parried but spilt the ball right into the path of Beto, who didn’t hesitate, just like he did against Brighton.
Beto was a constant menace. He bullied Malick Thiaw all afternoon, beating him in the air and on the ground. Moyes was left with his head in his hands at one point, though Beto shrugged off Thiaw near the halfway line, raced clear, and hammered a shot past Pope, only to see it crash off the crossbar.
It felt like one of those moments that could haunt Everton, especially when Murphy made it 2-2. Not this time.
Pickford’s incredible save from Sandro Tonali’s stoppage-time volley kept Everton in front – a full-blooded strike that Pickford somehow pushed onto the woodwork. Dewsbury-Hall did his part too, surging forward after Murphy’s goal to set up the winner and getting stuck in all over the pitch. He even threw himself in front of Anthony Gordon’s shot from a distance and twice made sure Tonali knew he couldn’t bully Garner off the ball without a fight.
When Newcastle threatened to overwhelm Everton, Dewsbury-Hall calmed his teammates and led by example. Moyes loves him, the fans are quickly following, and when Everton play well, Dewsbury-Hall is usually at the centre of it. His passing range kept turning defence into attack, and Moyes later called it his best display since coming back from the hamstring injury that wrecked his Christmas.
Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye played their part, as did Garner back in his favourite central midfield role. McNeil won the ball back in his own half to start the move that led to Branthwaite’s goal and linked play smartly in midfield. Vitalii Mykolenko dealt with Newcastle’s set pieces again and again, while
LIVERPOOL TARGET EMILIANO MARTINEZ AS JUVENTUS CLOSE IN ON LEGEND ALISSON BECKER
Discover why FSG are targeting Emi Martinez to replace Alisson, as Villa face pressure to sell their highest-earning players.
There’s growing talk about Liverpool potentially moving for Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez as they weigh up options if Alisson Becker leaves for Juventus this summer, according to TEAMtalk.
Alisson has been a rock for Liverpool since they paid a hefty fee to sign him from Roma in 2018. Over eight seasons, he’s helped secure six major trophies, including two Premier League titles and the Champions League, earning a reputation as one of the club’s best-ever goalkeepers.
But with his contract expiring in just over a year, it seems likely he might leave for a new challenge abroad. Sources suggest Juventus are confident about signing him this summer and has also been targeting other Premier League players.
This potential departure has pushed Liverpool’s owners, FSG, to explore the goalkeeper market carefully and consider strong replacements for such a key position.
Sources confirm that Martinez is once again drawing significant transfer interest ahead of the window. Aston Villa, meanwhile, are under pressure to balance their books and have Martinez, one of their highest earners with a contract until 2029, firmly on their minds.
Villa has begun looking into possible replacements too, making enquiries about several goalkeepers, including Manchester City’s James Trafford.
Martinez’s situation is catching attention across Europe, and Liverpool is among the clubs aware he could be available.
Within Liverpool’s recruitment team, Martinez is highly regarded and seen as a serious candidate should Alisson depart. Juventus has offered Alisson an attractive long-term contract, something Liverpool could match, but apparently are hesitant to do so at this point.
Discussions between Alisson and Juventus have reportedly progressed well, with the player keen to test himself in Serie A. This uncertainty has made Liverpool carefully consider their next steps in goal.
While youngster Giorgi Mamardashvili is promising, there’s still some doubt about whether he’s ready to immediately take on the number one role at a club chasing top honours every season.
That has led Liverpool to broaden its search and look at more experienced options. Martinez stands out for his leadership, mentality, and top-level experience, qualities Liverpool values highly, given his recent performances for both Villa and Argentina.
His reputation as a commanding figure and elite shot-stopper also makes him attractive to those handling Liverpool’s recruitment.
Aston Villa aren’t pushing Martinez out aggressively, but they acknowledge a significant offer could force serious talks this summer. With financial realities to face, tough decisions might be on the horizon for the Midlands club.
Liverpool’s manager, Arne Slot, has hinted at a possible “changing of the guard” regarding Alisson this summer, noting that all transfers are carefully considered with the club’s best interests in mind.
He mentioned experience is a factor in keeping players like Alisson, but ultimately it will be the club’s decision, especially with just one year left on the current deal.
While StadiumNest sources say the Juventus move is gaining serious momentum, some journalists believe selling Alisson could turn out to be a major mistake for Liverpool.
At the same time, there’s a growing unease within Liverpool about whether letting Caoimhin Kelleher go last summer was a misstep, which now adds to their uncertainty over goalkeeping options going forward.
ALAN SHEARER SLAMS VAR INCONSISTENCY AFTER ARSENAL SCRAPE PAST WEST HAM IN LONDON
Discover why Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker are questioning VAR consistency following Callum Wilson’s disallowed goal in London.
Alan Shearer didn’t hold back after Arsenal’s tense 1-0 win over West Ham, blasting what he sees as the Premier League’s inconsistent officiating.
West Ham, desperate for points at the bottom of the table, thought they’d snatched a late equaliser when Callum Wilson scored in stoppage time. But VAR caught a foul; Pablo was judged to have collided with Arsenal’s keeper David Raya, and the goal got chalked off. The review dragged on, too, with VAR official Darren England studying the replays for more than four minutes before telling referee Chris Kavanagh to check the monitor himself.
Shearer, chatting with Gary Lineker and Micah Richards on The Rest is Football podcast, admitted the officials probably got it right in the end. Still, he said, VAR hasn’t fixed the bigger problem: referees can’t seem to make consistent calls.
“Some people think that’s a foul; some don’t,” Shearer said. “But where’s the consistency? Every week we’re seeing almost identical incidents.”
He pointed to another recent VAR call last week at Everton; Bernardo Silva drew a holding foul, but Merlin Rohl barely got a second look from the officials. “Where was VAR then?” Shearer asked.
The frustration goes beyond just the players and coaches. “Fans will show you screenshots of similar moments, and sometimes it’s a foul; sometimes it’s nothing. That’s why people are upset.”
West Ham walk away empty-handed, missing out on what could’ve been a crucial point in their relegation battle. Arsenal, meanwhile, hang on at the top, still five clear of Manchester City.
Gary Lineker added his two cents: “Probably a foul, but this isn’t how it’s supposed to work. If I were a West Ham or Man City fan, I’d be angry too. There were all kinds of grappling at that corner, Arsenal players grabbing West Ham attackers everywhere. Sure, keepers get special protection, and maybe it was a foul. But what about everything else going on in the box?”
Wayne Rooney, though, gave the officials some rare credit on his own show. “Clear foul in my book. You can see the arm hit Raya’s face, and he can’t reach the ball. VAR actually did its job in a big moment.”
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