Jordan Pickford's 'Wonder Save' Secures Everton Victory at Newcastle
Everton manager David Moyes hailed goalkeeper Jordan Pickford's 'wonder save' as the defining moment in a thrilling 3-2 Premier League victory over Newcastle United at St James' Park. The England international produced a miraculous stoppage-time intervention to deny Italy midfielder Sandro Tonali a dramatic equaliser, preserving Everton's hard-fought win.
Moyes Praises 'Textbook' Volley and Save
Moyes expressed immense admiration for both the quality of Tonali's strike and Pickford's response. 'The biggest credit I could give the save would be to say that Tonali's volley was textbook,' Moyes stated. 'Probably if he got it, he couldn't do any better if he tried again. It was so good, technique, on target... It took a wonder save to make it happen, so great credit to Jordan, and I've got to say it was a brilliant volley by Tonali as well.'
Pickford's heroics came in the dying moments of a pulsating encounter, somehow turning Tonali's powerful volley onto the crossbar. This ensured Everton claimed their second consecutive away win on Tyneside, moving them to eighth place with 40 points, within striking distance of the top six.
Eventful Match Sees Newcastle's Home Struggles Continue
The match was a rollercoaster from start to finish:
- Jarrad Branthwaite gave Everton an early lead with a header.
- Newcastle levelled through Jacob Ramsey, but quickly conceded again when Nick Pope spilled Dwight McNeil's shot, allowing Beto to score.
- Jacob Murphy volleyed past Pickford with eight minutes remaining to make it 2-2.
- Everton regained the lead almost instantly as Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall set up substitute Thierno Barry to score after Anthony Gordon lost possession.
Newcastle's defeat marks their third consecutive home league loss for the first time under head coach Eddie Howe, a fate not suffered since January-February 2021. Despite booking a Champions League last-16 clash with Barcelona in midweek, the Magpies are struggling domestically, with just two wins in their last seven Premier League games, jeopardising their European qualification hopes for next season.
Howe Frustrated by Premier League Form
A visibly frustrated Eddie Howe acknowledged his team's recent shortcomings. 'Certainly in relation to the Premier League, our form for a while has not been strong enough, it's not been good enough. We know that, we take responsibility for that,' he said.
Howe pointed to the challenges of balancing European commitments. 'It's been really frustrating for that, and that is the perils of Europe, I'm afraid. We've tried to be laser-focused on every game... But with the deluge of games, your focus can be swayed and yes, our Premier League return in recent weeks has been nowhere near the level that it has been historically and our home form, which has been so reliable for us, has tailed off. We've got to try to grab that back as quickly as possible.'
Moyes Highlights Everton's Resilience
Reflecting on the victory, Moyes emphasised his team's character. 'For 25 minutes of the first half, we played really well and we were a bit unlucky. But the resilience away from home here... But nothing more than you would expect from Newcastle. They put us under a lot of pressure down the hill, which we knew was coming, but we stuck at it in the main.'
The result underscores Everton's growing confidence under Moyes, while Newcastle face mounting pressure to reverse their domestic slide amidst a demanding European schedule.
