Everton 3–1 Newcastle: Young Blues Impress in Edinburgh

Everton’s pre-season finally found a bit of rhythm in the Scottish drizzle, as David Moyes’s side outplayed Newcastle United in a 3–1 win at Murrayfield that felt far more purposeful than your average August run-out.

Ten days from the Premier League’s opening weekend, this was no gentle jog. Newcastle arrived in Edinburgh in their vivid pink change strip, still reeling from a summer of upheaval under new head coach Matthias Jaissle. Everton, bruised by a 3-1 defeat at Stuttgart and a patchy set of warm‑up results, badly needed a performance with some edge.

They got it.

Branthwaite Missing, Patterson Nods to Home Soil

The headline before kick-off was who *wasn’t* involved. Jarrad Branthwaite, fresh from captaining Everton and playing 80 minutes in Stuttgart, was left out entirely as part of his planned reintegration after last season’s hamstring injury. The club confirmed he will continue full training at Finch Farm and is being held back for the final warm‑up against LOSC Lille at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

The rest of the XI held few surprises. Nathan Patterson started at right-back on Scottish soil, a neat touch, while Tim Iroegbunam remained absent after his early withdrawal in Germany. New boys like Norgaard and Johnson stayed on the sidelines of Moyes’s plans for now, still to be woven into the squad’s fabric.

Newcastle, under Jaissle, looked experimental and a touch raw. Key figures Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes have gone, Eddie Howe has stepped away, and this felt like a team still trying to work out what it wants to be.

Newcastle Start Bright, Travers Stands Tall

The Toon, “pretty in pink” but sharp from the first whistle, seized early control. Everton could barely string a pass together in the opening five minutes. A simple lob from Yoane Wissa forced Mark Travers into his first save, then the first Newcastle corner followed, calmly claimed by the Everton keeper.

Moyes’s side were stuck in reverse. Free-kicks for fouls on Lewis Barry and Iliman Ndiaye were rolled backwards, possession squandered, clearances half-hearted. When Toure whipped in a dangerous cross from the left and Wissa lashed over, the warning lights were on. Vitalii Mykolenko then tangled himself up, allowing Anthony Elanga to pounce and drive in a fierce effort that Travers did superbly to turn behind.

It took 14 minutes for Everton to really arrive. Patterson, eager and aggressive down the right, swung in a superb far-post cross that just evaded Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. That moment, though, seemed to snap the Blues into life.

Barry Strikes, Ndiaye From the Spot

As the half wore on, Everton’s youngsters began to enjoy themselves. Hayden Hackney disrupted a Newcastle move and fed Barry, who looked to be fouled but got nothing. A sharp one-two between Dewsbury-Hall and Tyrique George sent the teenager surging forward, only for him to dither at the crucial moment.

Newcastle still carried a threat. Wissa tried to buy a penalty off Hackney, the referee unmoved. Toure kept slinging in quality from the left. But Everton’s defence, marshalled by James Tarkowski and Michael Keane, held its line.

Then came the turning point.

Hackney was robbed in midfield and Wissa seemed certain to score, only for Tarkowski to produce a superb last-ditch intervention. In an instant, the danger flipped into opportunity. Keane launched a lofted ball forward, Barry initially misjudged it, then recovered brilliantly, wriggling past two defenders. His run was halted, but the loose ball fell to Armstrong, who slipped in Theirno Barry.

Barry didn’t hesitate. A crisp, low finish across the keeper and into the far corner on 28 minutes. Everton, suddenly, were in front and brimming with confidence.

Newcastle’s frustration grew. Barry was wrestled down by Joelinton, another free-kick rolled back and wasted. Yet the Blues were now slicing through with real menace. A flowing move should have ended with Ndiaye scoring, only for Newcastle’s new keeper to stand firm.

He couldn’t stop the next one.

Mykolenko threaded a clever pass into Dewsbury-Hall, Joelinton again went in too forcefully, and this time the referee pointed to the spot. On 35 minutes, Iliman Ndiaye stepped up and coolly rolled the penalty home. 2–0, and Everton suddenly looked like the side with a settled plan.

Patterson then produced a brilliant steal on Joelinton and tore down the right, but Dewsbury-Hall wasted the moment, hesitating on the ball before playing it into a packed box. A nasty foul by Wissa drew only a free-kick and a stern word from Tarkowski; Newcastle’s tempers were fraying, Everton’s structure was not.

By half-time, the Blues had turned a shaky start into a commanding two-goal lead, their defence solid and their young attackers increasingly expressive.

Newcastle Shuffle the Pack, Everton Keep Their Nerve

Jaissle reacted with wholesale changes after the break, and the new faces immediately injected urgency. Jacob Murphy slipped in behind Mykolenko and drilled low, but Travers again answered with a sharp save to his right.

Everton, though, refused to retreat into their shell. Hackney dropped a superb long pass onto Barry’s path, only for the forward’s touch to desert him. George then fizzed a tremendous ball across for Ndiaye, who couldn’t bring it under control as it bounced awkwardly and skipped out.

The game opened up. Everton’s attempts to play through the thirds were ambitious but inconsistent. Mykolenko swung in one cross that could only be described as wild. Then came a reminder of the quality in this side: Dewsbury-Hall’s neat work set up George for his trademark curling effort, the ball arcing just beyond the top corner.

Newcastle tried to overload down Everton’s left, but one promising move was cut short by an offside flag. Everton slowed things down, keeping the ball, often recycling all the way back to Travers to reset.

A driving run from Barry drew a foul from Lewis Miley, and Dewsbury-Hall’s curling free-kick looked destined for the bottom corner before the keeper clawed it behind. George saw another shot blocked, Hackney burst into the box after a clever backheel from George and went down with no reward, and Ndiaye cut inside only to balloon his shot over.

Everton’s control wasn’t flawless, but it was assured. When Newcastle did win a corner, Mykolenko defended stoutly and the danger was cleared. Barry then led a break but wasted it with a poor pass, a reminder that this is still a young side learning on the job.

George Steals the Show

Changes followed just after the hour. Ndiaye, Dewsbury-Hall and Barry made way for Dibling, Alcaraz and Beto, but the tempo stayed high. Barry’s final contribution was a driving counter that released George, who hesitated, and the move ended with Dibling going down under an arm to the face. No penalty.

Dibling soon found his rhythm, whipping in a cross that deflected behind, then delivering a second ball of real quality that almost fashioned a chance. George, meanwhile, kept torturing his full-back on the left, winning a corner that Hackney floated to the far post without reward.

Then came the moment of the night.

George collected the ball and drove at Newcastle again, gliding past challenges with real swagger. He linked up with Armstrong, who had the composure to stand on the ball, scan, and then thread a brilliant reverse pass back into George’s path.

Tyrique George didn’t waste it. He spun sharply, almost like a dancer pivoting on a stage, and drilled a low shot into the net on 73 minutes. A fabulous goal: quick feet, sharp mind, ruthless finish. For a youngster, it was a statement.

Everton were enjoying themselves now. More crisp passing carried them out from the back, George slipped in Youssef Chermiti Aznou on the overlap, and his cross was blocked. Ramsey resorted to a rugby tackle on Armstrong and somehow escaped a booking.

Dibling beat his man again and swung in another inviting cross, but no one attacked it. Newcastle finally found a way through late on, Murphy bending in a superb delivery from the right and Harvey Barnes arriving to clip home a consolation.

A Glimpse of Everton’s New Edge

The final whistle drew a line under a night that will please Moyes more than the scoreline alone suggests. Travers was sharp, Tarkowski immense at key moments, and the young front line — Barry, Ndiaye, George — brought energy and invention.

Newcastle, under Jaissle, are clearly a work in progress after a summer of exits and change. Everton look further along the road, even if the finishing touches are still missing.

With Lille up next and the Premier League looming, the question now is simple: can this blend of steel at the back and fearless youth up front carry Everton into the new season with something more than just optimism?