Newcastle United head to Everton after demolishing Tottenham Hotspur, and Paul Merson expects the Magpies to suffer a reality check.
Everton are currently fighting for survival, and find themselves in the bottom three with just six games to go. As for Newcastle, we now have a six point lead in the race to qualify for the Champions League.
Eddie Howe’s side will be full of confidence after Sunday’s 6-1 win over Tottenham. However, Merson does not expect the Magpies to follow it up with another win.
Paul Merson thinks Everton vs Newcastle will be a draw
As part of his latest column for Sportskeeda, Merson has predicted the results of the upcoming Premier League fixtures. Newcastle head to Goodison Park on Thursday night, and the former Arsenal forward believes it will be a 1-1 draw.
“Everton are in real trouble at the moment,” he wrote.
“They got a result against Palace the other day, but I look at their remaining fixtures and worry for them. The only way they can save themselves is by drawing their way out – I can’t see them winning a match at the moment.
“Newcastle are virtually in the Champions League now, and they might take their eyes off their campaign. They’ve got to make sure they don’t lose too many games, and that could work in Everton’s favour.
“Everton are a hard team to beat, and they play a certain way. They need to get out of the bottom three as soon as possible, by either points or goal difference. They need to nick a few draws here and there, and I think they can pull it off this week.”
Completely different game to Sunday
Newcastle will be full of confidence after beating Spurs, but Howe will be wary of slipping up on Merseyside. His side lost at Goodison Park last year, falling to a last-gasp Alex Iwobi goal. It was a vital moment in Everton’s survival bid, and they will be hoping for something similar on Thursday night.
However, they face a focussed Newcastle side that still need to keep winning to ensure they qualify for the Champions League. Thursday night will be a different prospect, however, as it is not a home game. The Magpies will not be roared on by a raucous crowd, and will instead be trying to unsettle the Everton faithful.
Merson believes the Toffees can draw their way to safety, and their next game is against a team that were draw experts earlier in the season. Newcastle have drawn 11 games already, the second most in the Premier League.
Despite losing 50% of their games, Merson believes Everton are hard to beat. He also thinks Newcastle could lose focus, despite still not officially qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
Howe will still have his eyes on the prize, which is why he will take his team to Everton in search of yet another victory.
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