HomeZ OLD CATEGORIESEPLIndex Tactical ReportEverton 2 Newcastle United 2 | Stats & Tactical Analysis

Everton 2 Newcastle United 2 | Stats & Tactical Analysis

Second Half

The second half was a completely different game, as Pardew switched things around effectively. Newcastle shuffled their pack, with Demba Ba on for Marveaux, and switched to a 4-4-2 (albeit a lop-sided one with Jonas Gutierrez considerably more interested in tracking back than Ben Arfa was!) Perch switched to a defensive midfield position with Anita transferring across to right back and immediately showing the value of the switch by tracking a Baines run to snuff out the danger.

It was a sign of the effectiveness of Newcastle’s switch that it was the 59th minute before Baines finally got behind their defence to deliver a cross, having constantly got into such positions in the first period.

The changes also withdrew Yohan Cabaye deeper, which made an immediate difference to how Newcastle played. In the first half he’d played ahead of Gutierrez and Anita and had been rather isolated. By drawing their best passer deeper Newcastle began to enjoy better possession as he moved the ball around well.

Cabaye slid the ball into channel from straight from restart, which was a sign of things to come: he constantly passed incisively behind the back four when the home team looked to push out, forcing Everton to be a little more conservative with their defensive line.

Within four minutes Newcastle’s more lively approach was rewarded by Ba’s first goal after Cabaye managed to do something they had rarely done in the first half: win the ball high up the pitch.

This was also a pattern which would continue. Newcastle were now on the front foot, able to play with a higher midfield line, pushing up and pressing to win possession higher up pitch and not giving Everton space to pass or time to get men forward for those triangles. It was a total contrast to their reactive approach in the first half.

Indeed, the borderline offside goal by Fellaini after an hour led from the first real-time Everton had enough men forwards to do what they did in first half.

Everton were therefore forced to go longer than they had previously. Victor Anichebe was introduced as an aerial target and using him in that manner was immediately effective: he won a free kick from a goal kick put onto his head, and when it was delivered he again met it with his head, the linesman judging his effort hadn’t crossed the line although replays suggested it had.

Anichebe was briefly swapped with Mirallas, and immediately Ben Arfa beat him, but Moyes soon moved him back into the centre, and was rewarded when he scored.

In the last ten minutes the game got  very stretched, with both sides looking longer and Everton finishing the stronger. However, Shola Ameobi was now on and offering similar qualities to Anichebe. The substitution was rewarded when he set up Ba’s equaliser from a long ball.

The similarity in the roles the two substitutes performed was striking: their direct approach was reflected in the fact that they played comfortably the highest percentage of forward passes (Anichebe 63%, Ameobi 60%) of any outfield players.
Everton Passing Stats

Newcaslte Passing Stats

The suspended Pardew’s elevated vantage point from high in the stands perhaps gave him an overview which allowed him to make crucial, match-changing substitutions. After 80 very tactical minutes though, the wonderfully breathless conclusion probably owed more to adrenaline than theory.

All of the stats from this article have been taken from the Opta Stats Centre at EPLIndex.comSubscribe Now (Includes author privileges!) Check out our new Top Stats feature on the Stats Centre which allows you to compare all players in the league & read about new additions to the stats centre.

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