Newcastle United’s 1-1 draw with Everton was frustrating, but there were many positives to take away from the game on Tuesday night.
While the first response was fury after squandering a 1-0 lead, Eddie Howe will be encouraged by what he saw from many of his Newcastle United players.
Alexander Isak maintained his excellent form, and Bruno Guimaraes was as impressive.
Lewis Hall shined in his first start since November, and Dan Burn was arguably the Magpies’ finest player. He switched from left-back to centre-back and appeared to be lot more comfortable.
Those four guys, as well as a player making his Newcastle United debut since October, performed admirably against Everton.
Eddie Howe made a big change to his Newcastle midfield
Eddie Howe made four changes to the team that started against West Ham, one of which saw Joe Willock move to the bench.
He was replaced by Elliot Anderson, who appeared in the Newcastle starting lineup for the first time since October 8th, 2023. On that day, he played the entire 90 minutes in the Magpies’ 2-2 draw with the Hammers.
Anderson returned to Newcastle on April 2nd, 2024, and started on the left side of the Magpies’ midfield trio.
It was a reward for doing so brilliantly off the bench over the weekend, and he was just as spectacular as a starter.
Elliot Anderson was outstanding against Everton
Anderson was quite impressive against Everton. He was the driving force behind everything positive about the Magpies’ performance, and his absence made us substantially weaker.
The 21-year-old, who Howe described as ‘excellent’ in preseason, appears to have matured, combining raw ball talent with tireless pressing and tactical astuteness. He could be heard yelling commands and communicating with his players, demonstrating a degree of confidence that we had not seen in his early days.
Anderson appears to be ready to be a regular starter in the Premier League right now, and that needs to happen before the end of the 2023/24 season.
Howe must start Anderson regularly for Newcastle now
Newcastle have struggled with injuries all season, with Anderson having a back issue that sidelined him for four months. He was a huge loss, as he would have played a lot given Sandro Tonali’s ban.
Now that he is completely fit and eager to make up for missed time, Howe must reward his recent performance with a lengthy stint in the starting lineup.
Anderson should be playing ahead of Sean Longstaff, who appeared off the pace on Tuesday night. His passing was worryingly erratic, and it was another dismal performance from the local lad.
With eight games to left, Howe cannot afford to have any passengers on his side if he wants to qualify for Europe. That is why Anderson should start every week, as he appears to be set to make a significant impact in the remainder of the Premier League season.
