Everton vs. Newcastle United match report: Callum Wilson double dents Everton dreams

Callum Wilson’s brace broke Everton.

The second half saw Everton try to find rhythm and were successful for the initial few minutes but Bruce’s men first soaked the Everton pressure and then pushed the Toffees back into the shell.

There was a brief moment in the second half that proved to be the tipping point where Everton completely lost the momentum they had gained in the second half, when in a flash Newcastle turned defence into an attack. Defending a corner one moment and in the blink of an eye Miguel Almiron launched a counter attacking releasing Ryan Fraser who in turn found a free Wilson but his shot went wide.

In the 73rd minute, Jonjo Shelvey crossed a wicked ball from a corner and rose Wilson who was looking dangerous the whole afternoon. Unchecked, the former Bournemouth striker headed into the far post with speed and power to give the Toons the lead. Being 1-0 down, the Royal Blues were throwing men forward with the likes of Doucoure and Andre Gomes getting the license to surge forward.

It was becoming a long frustrating afternoon for Everton as the players were failing to produce anything significant in the final third. With minimal cover in the rearguard in the final moments of the game, a poor Doucoure effort to cross the ball meant that Allan Saint-Maximin would release Jamaal Lewis on a counter.

Lewis crossed the ball to Wilson outside the Everton goal area who was unmarked and had ample time to recover from a first bad touch, organize himself for the shot and drill it in past Pickford to close the tie. This was Wilson’s 100th goal in his career and his sixth in last four games against Everton.

Everton need to dig deep to find answers to certain problems that still persist. The Toffees cannot afford a knockback at this point if they are serious about getting to Europe. With the Leeds United game next on the calendar, Ancelotti has four days to regroup his team and provide definitive solutions.