Newcastle came out of this one with two clear positives: Lukáš Horníček's second-half work and Mason Miley's lively cameo. Everton were sharper when chances arrived, while Newcastle's own early openings and defensive mistakes made the game slip away before the late response.
Horníček and Miley stand out
Horníček was the standout, and the 8/10 rating made sense. He was described as man of the match after facing over a dozen shots in the second half, the sort of workload that turns a keeper's evening into damage limitation.
Miley matched that mark with 8/10 of his own. His introduction brought a bit of purpose, and the pass that created a chance for Jacob Murphy was the sharpest piece of Newcastle play after the break.
Bazoumana Touré also caught the eye with dangerous crosses down the left, and his 8/10 reflected that threat. Harvey Barnes at least gave Newcastle a consolation after an assist from Jacob Murphy, but by then Everton had already done the damage.
Early errors and Everton's finish
Newcastle were 2-0 down at the break after Thierno Barry capitalised on Sven Botman's mistake and Iliman Ndiaye converted a penalty after Joelinton's challenge. That left too much to undo, even before Everton moved further ahead with Tyrique George's stunner with 17 minutes to go.
The ratings reflected that imbalance. Anthony Elanga, Yoane Wissa and William Osula were among the names who could not tilt the game back Newcastle's way, while Horníček and Miley at least kept the final stretch from feeling completely flat.
For Newcastle, the best marks belonged to a keeper under pressure and a substitute who changed the tone for a few minutes. The rest of the ratings told a more familiar story, and the next league outing will need a cleaner response.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
