Old Foes Sam Allardyce And Rafa Benitez Do Battle Again As Everton Host Newcastle United

Everton v Newcastle

Monday April 23 (20:00 UK), Goodison Park, Live on Sky Sports Premier League & Sky Sports Main Event

Tensions between the pair may be a thing of the past, but Rafael Benitez has a glorious opportunity to deepen the crisis engulfing former foe Sam Allardyce at Everton in Monday night's late kick-off.

Just one point separates Everton in ninth from mid-table rivals Newcastle, who are on a four-game winning streak following victory over Arsenal last weekend. Consistent performances from the likes of Jonjoe Shelvey and January signing Martin Dubravka have not only pulled the Magpies clear of relegation, but also put them on course for a surprise top-half finish this season.

In contrast, this has been a week to forget for Blues manager Allardyce. Indeed, booing in the away end during last weekend's 1-1 draw away at Swansea, together with the now-notorious survey put out by club officials in midweek, has placed his already uncertain future under even further scrutiny.

Victory here would alleviate concerns of a bottom-half finish, and also prove a welcome tonic given the week the former England manager has had.

Team news

Everton have no fresh injury worries for Monday evening's late kick-off, with manager Sam Allardyce suggesting on Friday that long-term absentees Gylfi Sigurdsson and Mason Holgate both have a chance of featuring before the end of the season.

Young striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin may come back into contention after missing last weekend's trip to Swansea, while Ramiro Funes Mori is also pushing for a start following a late cameo in south Wales.

Elsewhere, changes could well be few and far between, as the likes of Michael Keane and Morgan Schneiderlin continue their steady improvement. The duo appear on course to figure again in what has become a settled Everton spine of late.

Visitors Newcastle, meanwhile, look set to be without former Blues loanee Christian Atsu through injury.

His absence should mean Matt Ritchie and Kenedy keep their places on the wing in manager Rafa Benitez's favoured 4-4-2.

England hopeful Jonjoe Shelvey, so impressive in recent weeks, is on course to feature alongside Mo Diamé at the heart of an energetic midfield, while up front in form Spaniard Ayoze Perez will likely rekindle his blossoming partnership with Dwight Gayle.

What they said

Sam Allardyce: "We've achieved our first and only goal from the very start and I think safety was the ultimate for 13 games and 12 points when I arrived here.

"The magic thing is that we achieved that in such a quick time when you see others still striving and worried when we're not. What we are striving for is to finish the season as best as we possible can and acquire as many points as we can.

"Now there's four games left. Newcastle on Monday night are in good form and we will try our very best to beat them with our good home record. They are in the best form they've been in this season and it will be a difficult task to beat them."

Rafael Benitez: “My position now is the same. We have games to play and I want to make sure we have a good team to play against Everton.

“When I came, I could see the potential of this massive club and the passion of the fans. After two successful seasons, I can feel this passion, the ambitions of the fans. My idea now is to sit down with the club and see if the club has these same ambitions.

“Everyone has been trying to do their best to help these young players. I’m really pleased with everything. Hopefully we can get more points and stay high in the table.”

Expected starting lineups

Everton: Pickford; Coleman, Jagielka, Keane, Baines; Gueye, Schneiderlin; Walcott, Rooney, Bolasie; Tosun

Newcastle: Dubravka; Yedlin, Lascelles, Lejeune, Dummett; Ritchie, Diamé, Shelvey, Kenedy; Perez, Gayle

Prediction

If anything crystalises the contrasting fortunes of these two clubs, it's the fact that Newcastle can go above Monday's hosts Everton with a win at Goodison Park. On paper - and taking into account money spent - the pair should be operating in completely different parts of the Premier League table; not competing as direct rivals.

Yet under the astute management of Rafa Benitez, Newcastle look far greater than the sum of their parts. The 2-1 victory over Arsenal showed a team pulling in the same direction, maximising their resources and fighting for a cause they believe in. In truth, even avoiding relegation would have constituted success in their first season back in the top-flight. A direct contrast to troubled Allardyce's Everton, of course, who have endured something of a nightmare week on the PR front to say the least.

Yet while the Magpies may be the form team, Goodison Park does function as something of a leveller.

If Everton can feed quick ball to the likes of Walcott and Coleman on the right-hand side and supply Cenk Tosun with enough opportunities, they have the quality to pick up a morale-boosting win in front of their home support.  Everton 2-1 Newcastle