Ten-man Everton stun Newcastle with Alex Iwobi’s last-gasp winner

Alex Iwobi may rank as one of Everton’s least successful signings of the Farhad Moshiri but even a misfit can have his day. His greatest contribution in a blue shirt came with Everton down to 10 men, the goal drought having stretched back to the first half of February. It was the 99th minute when he exchanged passes with Dominic Calvert-Lewin and slid a shot under Martin Dubravka. He secured just Everton’s third win in 21 league games. Perhaps, in the process, he changed the course of a season.

Frank Lampard’s first league game in charge of Everton was at St James’ Park and a defeat formed part of a wider swing between the clubs. Newcastle sacked Steve Bruce when 11 points behind Everton and kicked off here nine ahead of them. It explained why their supporters began in buoyant mood, taunting their hosts with choruses of the name of Rafael Benítez. A man who has managed both clubs is held in far higher esteem on Tyneside than this part of Merseyside. The visitors also came to jeer Jordan Pickford, though those chants had less meaning with coronavirus sidelining the goalkeeper. Asmir Begovic, who lacks his Sunderland connections, deputised and avoided embarrassment when Fabian Schär tried to lob him from 60 yards.

Booed off against Wolves on Sunday, Everton had the crowd firmly behind them as they made an up-tempo start. Yet the only early opportunity they mustered was when Ben Godfrey headed straight at Martin Dubravka. With Calvert-Lewin not deemed fit enough to start alongside Richarlison, Lampard had made the unexpected decision to use Anthony Gordon as a No 10 but, seemingly struggling with injury, he was a passenger at times as Newcastle assumed the initiative.

Bruno Guimarães offered control as they began to camp in