Newcastle v Everton player ratings: Trippier 8, Almiron 8; Gray 7, Calvert-Lewin 5

Magpies earn 1-0 Premier League win at St James' Park on Wednesday

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  NEWCASTLE RATINGS: Nick Pope 7: Nothing to do in opening 45 minutes as Everton had one attempt on goal and none on target. Same story after break as, despite more possession, Everton failed to register another attempt. Getty

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  Kieran Trippier 8: Newcastle’s captain is in superb form both defensively and offensively at the moment. Works well with Almiron down right and his delivery on crosses is always a threat. getty

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  Fabian Schar 8: Booked for shoving Gordon after fracas just before half-time was rare moment of Swiss defender losing cool. Helped secure the Magpies another clean sheet and also showed his confidence with a few surging runs forward out from the back. PA

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  Sven Botman 8: The ice man at the heart of Newcastle’s defence who helped keep Clavert-Lewin very quiet and continues to look a superb signing for Eddie Howe's team. Getty

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  Dan Burn 8: Big left-back up against lively opponent in Gordon but did well with Everton winger switching flanks after break. Headed Trippier corner wide of target just before half-time. Getty

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  Sean Longstaff 5: Frustrating game for Geordie midfielder after playing well at Old Trafford, with too many sloppy passes, as well as being caught in possession a couple of times – one of which when an early shot was on and chance went begging. Reuters

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  Joelinton 6: Booked for cynical foul on Onana in first half when Brazilian’s passing radar was off-kilter. Picked up knock and failed to appear for second half which will be concern for Magpies. Reuters

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  Bruno Guimaraes 8: Teed-up Almiron’s goal with simple pass into teammate’s path then should have put Newcastle two-up minutes later but pulled shot wide. Closer later in half with side-footed finish flashing just past post. Ran centre of park. Reuters

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  Jacob Murphy 7: Winger nearly opened scoring in first 10 minutes, cutting in from left and sending shot just over bar. Enjoying his run in team at moment and given well-earned ovation when taken off in second half. PA

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  Miguel Almiron 8: Wonderful curling first-time finish over Pickford to put Newcastle in front with his fourth goal in four games. Sent another curling effort wide of goal just after half-time and is currently in best form since moving to Tyneside. Getty

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  Callum Wilson 7: Saw difficult headed chance from just inside box easily saved by Pickford in first half. Involved in angry confrontation with Gordon just before break, had ambitious overhead kick blocked by Coady just after. Led line well but no clear opportunities on goal. PA

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  SUBS: Joe Willock (On for Joelinton 46’) 6: Had head in his hands after failing to get head on one superb whipped in Trippier free-kick. Headed a cross from fellow substitute Anderson wide. Reuters

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  Ryan Fraser (On for Almiron 73’) 6: Left limping after nasty Tarkowski tackle. EPA

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  Elliot Anderson (On for Muprhy 73’) 6: Tried to get Newcastle back on front foot after coming on with some attacking runs. PA

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  Chris Wood (On for Wilson 87’) N/A. EPA

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  EVERTON RATINGS: Jordan Pickford 7: Former Sunderland goalkeeper was given his usual ‘warm’ reception from home fans. No chance with Almiron’s quality finish. Reuters

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  Seamus Coleman 7: One vital clearance from Wilson cross with Murphy poised to finish and generally did well against the latter who is a pacey customer. EPA

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  James Tarkowski 7: Given pat on back by teammates for blocking cross with Newcastle players lining up in middle as home side stepped up pressure following goal. Booked for poor challenge on Newcastle substitute Fraser. Getty

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  Conor Coady 7: In right place to block acrobatic Wilson attempt early in second half and generally a solid night’s work from England centre-half. Getty

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  Vitaly Mykolenko 5: Ukrainian full-back nowhere to be seen as Almiron had time and space to put Magpies in front. Allowed Paraguayan to cut inside and fire shot just wide of target in second half. PA

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  Idrissa Gueye 6: Midfielder, now back in second spell at club, allowed Guimaraes too much time to boss middle of park, particularly in first half. Booked for hauling down Wilson. AP

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  Amadou Onana 6: Didn’t cover himself with glory going down holding head in first half after minimal contact from Wilson. Some nice give-and-goes with teammates but nothing cutting edge or capable of cutting through well organised home defence. Getty

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  Alex Iwobi 6: Little influence in first half but, like Everton as whole, came into the game just after half-time and caused home team a few problems before being replaced. Reuters

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  Anthony Gordon 6: Back in team following suspension and picked up another booking just before break after reacting furiously to Newcastle accusations of diving following Burn challenge. Lucky not to see red for foul on Anderson in second half. Getty

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  Demarai Gray 7: Needed more defensively first half with Trippier and Almiron causing problems down Everton’s left flank. Fanstastic run just after break when he left Trippier for dead but Newcastle cleared his ball into middle. Everton’s biggest attacking threat, which wasn’t saying much. EPA

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  Dominic Calvert-Lewin 5: Striker, making first start of season, shown very early yellow card for needless foul on Guimaraes. Headed Gray corner over bar after 25 minutes but little other threat. Getty

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  SUBS: Neale Maupay (On for Calvert-Lewin 73’) 5: No impact. Getty

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  James Garner (On for Iwobi 73’) 5: Failed to offer Everton any much-needed spark. EPA Dwight McNeil (On for Gray 79’) N/A.

Miguel Almiron continued his fine form with a superb curling finish as Newcastle United beat Everton 1-0 at St James' Park on Wednesday.

The Paraguayan midfielder's fifth goal of the season – and his fourth in four games – helped extend Newcastle's unbeaten run to six matches as the Magpies maintained their top-six spot in the Premier League.

Midfielder Bruno Guimaraes almost scored twice after Almiron's first-half strike against a lacklustre Everton side who failed to register a shot on target.

"It was a massive win for us," said home captain Kieran Trippier. "We've had a good spell recently and we want to keep pushing up the league and competing at the top of the table. We didn't perform to our best today but we grinded out the result.

"Ever since the gaffer has come here, and myself, it has been a positive place to be. We are performing well. The last two games not really, but we are still getting the results we want. Long may that continue."

Everton, for whom striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin played 73 minutes in his first start of the season, were decidedly second-best before the break and fortunate to be just a single goal behind.

Jacob Murphy’s dipping eighth-minute strike gave Jordan Pickford some concern in the Everton goal and then the former Sunderland keeper comfortably saved a Callum Wilson header soon after.

Calvert-Lewin mustered Everton’s only attempt at goal with a header from Demarai Gray’s 26th-minute corner, but cleared the crossbar by some distance, and Seamus Coleman had to hack away Wilson’s cross with Murphy waiting to pounce two minutes later.

The home side took the lead 14 minutes before the break when, after Murphy had headed Trippier’s ball back across goal, it was fed out to Guimaraes, whose pass was perfectly-weighted for Almiron to clip a superb curling shot over the helpless Pickford and inside the far post.

Newcastle might have increased their lead as they took the game by the scruff of the neck, Guimaraes twice shooting just wide either side of Pickford’s save from Fabian Schar’s bullet header before Dan Burn only just cleared the target.

The first half drew do a close in acrimonious fashion after Anthony Gordon, on his return from suspension, went to ground under Burn’s challenge with both the midfielder and Schar booked for their part in the melee which ensued.

A rare error from Trippier allowed Gray to race clear down the Everton left three minutes after the restart, only for the midfielder to drag his cross behind the blue shirts arriving in the middle to let the Magpies off the hook.

Almiron whistled a 55th-minute attempt just high and wide, but the visitors were enjoying their best spell of the game with Idrissa Gueye and Amadou Onana belatedly making an impact.

Substitute Joe Willock glanced a 77th-minute Trippier free-kick past the far post and then headed over with four minutes remaining, and there was no way back for the visitors.

"The stats I understand because in the box we weren't clinical enough," said Everton manager Frank Lampard, whose team are 15th in the table after losing three games in a row. "In terms of the overall game in terms of us competing, the stats were very good.

"It was a close match, Newcastle will know that. They are obviously ahead of us in their development."

You can see the player ratings from the match at St James' Park in the gallery above. To move on to the next photo, click on the arrows or if using a mobile device, simply swipe.