Newcastle United vs Everton preview, H2H, team news, line-ups, and prediction

Newcastle United will be looking to secure a Champions League spot when they host Everton at St James’ Park in their final game of the 2024–25 season.

Champions League football looks set to return to St. James’ Park, with Newcastle suffering just one defeat in their last nine matches—winning seven and drawing once—as they head into the penultimate round of Premier League fixtures.

They’ve already secured European football after ending their long wait for major domestic success by beating Liverpool in the League Cup final, much to the delight of fans with Newcastle United tickets.

With five Premier League spots available for next season’s Champions League, the battle is sure to go down to the wire—culminating in a final-day clash against Everton.

Newcastle, currently on 66 points with two games left, are in a strong position, though the race remains wide open. The Magpies’ resurgence—seven wins from their last eight matches—has pushed them up to third, four points above sixth-placed Nottingham Forest and just two behind second-place Arsenal, who they’ll face on Sunday.

Their recent dip, with a loss to Aston Villa and a draw against Brighton sandwiching a commanding 3-0 win over Ipswich, has made their top-five status feel less secure. Still, a 2-0 victory over Chelsea—sealed by goals from Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimarães—kept them in control of their Champions League ambitions.

Everton, meanwhile, were deep in relegation trouble mid-season, sitting 19th after losing eight of their first 19 league games and scoring just 17 goals. Sean Dyche was replaced by David Moyes, who successfully steered them clear of danger with games to spare.

Their recent form has been patchy, mixing resilience with inconsistency. They’ve earned valuable away wins—most notably at Fulham and Nottingham Forest—but struggled at home, where they’ve failed to win any of their last six matches at Goodison Park, their longest such streak since 2009.

Despite this, a nine-match unbeaten run that included four wins proved decisive in their survival bid. A 1-0 win over Fulham ended a brief winless stretch, ensuring 13th place is the highest they can now finish.

Defensively, Everton have a worrying stat—they’ve led by two or more goals on four occasions this season, only to fail to win each time, including games against Ipswich, Bournemouth, Villa, and Manchester United.

Yet away from home, Moyes’ side have fared surprisingly better, averaging 1.57 points per game compared to just 1.38 at home. With their final fixture away at St. James’ Park, the Toffees may benefit from the reduced pressure of playing on the road.

Newcastle United Vs Everton match details

• Date: Sunday, 25th May
• Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, England
• Venue: St James Park
• Kick-off time: 04:00 PM GMT, 03:00 PM UTC
• Tickets: Newcastle United vs Everton tickets are available to purchase from the clubs or via resellers such as Seatsnet.com.

Match stats and head-to-head

•  Newcastle have won their last 4 home league matches by 2+ goals. Of their last 9 league home wins, 7 were by at least a two-goal margin.

• Everton remain the only Premier League side yet to concede a penalty goal this season.

• The only previous season Everton avoided conceding from the spot was in 2009–10.

• Beto leads Everton’s scoring chart in the league with 8 goals, but hasn’t registered a single assist — the most by a Toffees player without assisting since Calvert-Lewin (16) in 2020–21.

• Jacob Murphy has 12 league assists this season — only Cole (13 in 1993–94) and Solano (15 in 1999–00) have managed more for Newcastle in a single campaign.

• Mykolenko and Beto’s goals at Fulham marked the first time Everton netted twice from outside the box in a league away game since 2018 (Digne vs Burnley).

• Everton have led by 2+ goals on four occasions this season but failed to win each time — against Ipswich, Bournemouth, Villa, and Man United.

• Newcastle have won 7 of their last 9 Premier League games. However, they’re winless in their last 2 away fixtures (D1, L1).

• Ahead of this tie, victory against Arsenal would take Newcastle  into 2nd — potentially their best finish since 1996–97 if they hold it.

• Isak leads the league for goals (19) and non-penalty goals (15) since December began.

• Newcastle reached 20 Premier League wins in a season for the first time since 2002–03 — the last time they made the top three.

• Everton came from behind to win away from home in the Premier League for the first time since October 2022 (2-1 at Southampton). They had failed to do so in their last 27 attempts (D6, L21).

• In 2025, only Isak (7), Marmoush (6), and Salah (6) have more home league goals than Beto (5 in 8 home appearances).

Team news

Joe Willock and Kieran Trippier are expected to miss out due to minor injuries, though Joelinton could return to action after a knee problem—pending a late fitness check. Matt Targett (hamstring) and Lewis Hall (ankle) have both been ruled out for the remainder of the campaign.

Sven Botman’s availability remains uncertain after being substituted at halftime in the recent win over Chelsea with a knee issue. However, Eddie Howe has downplayed the concern, suggesting the injury isn’t significant and Botman may still feature against Arsenal. “He was slightly uncomfortable in the half-time break \[against Chelsea] with a knee problem,” said Howe.

For Everton, Orel Mangala, James Tarkowski, and Jesper Lindstrom are all ruled out for the rest of the season. Jake O’Brien is a doubt and will undergo a late assessment to determine if he can return in time.

Due to these absences, Everton are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 system, with Seamus Coleman likely starting at right-back and Michael Keane partnering Jarrad Branthwaite at centre-back. Idrissa Gueye and James Garner are set to operate in a double pivot, while Alcaraz is tipped to take up the No.10 role behind lone striker Beto.

Predicted starting lineup

Newcastle predicted starting lineup:

Pope; Livramento, Schar, Botman, Burn; Guimarães, Tonali, Miley; Murphy, Isak, Gordon.

Everton predicted starting lineup:

Pickford; Coleman, Keane, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Gueye, Garner; Harrison, Alcaraz, McNeil; Beto.

Prediction

Newcastle climbed back into top-five contention following a solid run of results, currently occupying third place with three fixtures remaining. They hold a three-point lead over sixth place Aston Villa and can take confidence knowing that two of their closest challengers will meet on the final day—potentially cancelling each other out.

Regardless of how things pan out, the showdown with Everton promises to be unmissable due to its significance in the race for European qualification. Newcastle enter the clash in better form, having eased past Chelsea in their last outing without much resistance.

This game may well hinge on individual brilliance, and the Magpies boast several players performing at a high level who could prove decisive.

Everton, meanwhile, have shown strength on the road, with in-form Portuguese striker Beto playing a key role in recent successes.

While the Toffees have little left to fight for, Newcastle will count on the unwavering support of the Toon Army as they seek a long-awaited victory—having failed to beat Everton in their last three meetings.

We’re predicting a 3-1 win for Newcastle.