On Thursday night, while the world joined Ireland in the festivities for St. Patrick’s Day, Everton were having their own celebrations after picking up a massive three points in the Premier League.
As Craig Pawson blew his whistle for full-time, after 14 minutes was added-on for unforeseen antics, Goodison Park erupted into deafening pandemonium. It was nerve-wracking and it wasn’t always pretty, but Frank Lampard’s men earned themselves a massive victory in the relegation battle.
Newcastle United were certainly the better side in the first half and had limited the Toffees to an xG of merely 0.03 in the opening 45 minutes. However, an improved second-half display, followed by a sumptuous finish from Alex Iwobi in stoppage time straight from the depths of hell, was enough to take the victory for the hosts.
The task at hand to reach safety certainly isn’t over just yet but everyone involved with the club can take a massive sigh of relief.
But how exactly did Everton manage to overcome the Magpies in this crucial clash for survival? This article will be a tactical analysis of Thursday night’s bout. It will be an analysis of the tactics deployed by the two English coaches, whilst outlining three key tactical areas where Everton still desperately need improvement.
Formations and lineups
In an attempt to stave off the possibility of a drop down to the Championship, Lampard began experimenting with a 3-4-3 formation in recent weeks. Nonetheless, Sunday’s harrowing home defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers forced him to reconsider.
The former Derby County boss set Everton up in a 4-2-3-1 against Newcastle in the hope of being able to get more out of the players at his disposal. There was a reshuffling of the pack too as the young manager brought three changes into the lineup.
