Jack Grealish faces a challenge to reclaim his place in the Everton starting lineup upon his return, as David Moyes’s side continue to perform well without him. Everton secured a victory against 10 men at St James’ Park, handing Newcastle United their second defeat in five days following a second-half goal from Thierno Barry and a late red card for substitute Jacob Ramsey.
Pressure Mounts on Matthias Jaissle
Following a summer of transition at the club, Matthias Jaissle’s new-look side continues to generate more questions than answers, leading supporters to voice their disapproval at the final whistle. Addressing the reaction from the crowd, Jaissle stated, “Big frustration, big disappointment.” He added, “Of course, the fans, they get frustrated like we are. We need to analyse it now in detail. It’s also clear that I have the responsibility, and I also take that as manager of this club. We need to do things better.”
Supporters had already made their feelings known following a 3-1 Carabao Cup defeat away to Everton earlier in the week. Jaissle has faced early pressure in his tenure, having arrived at the eleventh hour following a summer that saw the departure of several big-name players, making it difficult to follow Eddie Howe’s achievements over the previous four years.
Match Action at St James’ Park
The first half saw few clear opportunities for either side, with Harvey Barnes testing Jordan Pickford via a deflected shot and Jake O’Brien alongside Harrison Armstrong missing the target for Everton. However, the deadlock broke early in the second half when a mistake by Newcastle goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek allowed a shot from Tyrique George to squirm beneath his body, leaving Barry to tap the ball into an empty net.
Jaissle admitted that his team was caught “sleeping” on the soft goal. Despite introducing Yoane Wissa, Sean Steur, Jacob Murphy, and Ramsey later in the match, Newcastle struggled in the final third. Anthony Elanga came close when his back-post header rolled across the goal line without fully crossing it, and the hosts failed to register a shot on target until the 86th minute before Ramsey received two yellow cards in stoppage time.
Moyes declined to discuss Grealish in detail, noting only that the winger was unavailable for a second consecutive game due to a breach of club discipline, though he confirmed there was a way back for him. Speaking about his youthful squad, Moyes said, “They’re so good, they give everything they’ve got. They’re a brilliant group of players. We beat Newcastle on Thursday night, and to beat them again today, it’s not an easy thing to do for any club.”
As Newcastle supporters question how far the team can finish above the relegation zone ahead of a challenging winter, Jaissle emphasized the need for solidarity. “The only way is togetherness, showing unity, and then the belief comes,” he said.
