Everton v Newcastle: Goals set to flow in Goodison stalemate

Everton return to Premier League business against last season’s surprise package Newcastle when they host the Magpies on Merseyside.

Many similarities can be found between the two teams, and backing the two clubs to share the points at Goodison Park for 5/2 could prove worthy odds.

Both club’s managers have operated under tight financial constraints in recent seasons and have still managed to oversee success.

David Moyes is rightly commended for his shrewd movements in the transfer market, this summer bringing in Kevin Miralles, Steven Naismith and Steven Pienaar for around £12m.

That figure was the amount that the Scot received for allowing English starlet Jack Rodwell to join Manchester City, but it is hard to argue against Moyes’ business sense.

For his part, Alan Pardew has also spent well over the last 18 months on Yohan Cabaye (£4.3m), Demba Ba (Free), Hatem Ben Arfa (£7m) and Papiss Cisse (£8m).

This summer the Londoner added Ajax’s Vernon Anita to his Geordie squad for a reported £6.7m, with the Dutchman already fitting in well at Newcastle.

Yet so far this campaign neither club has quite hit top gear, with Everton winning twice before a disappointing 2-0 defeat at West Brom, and Newcastle lacking consistency as they took four points from a possible nine.

Therefore a share of the spoils may be on the cards, and a score draw appears tempting at 10/3.

In the last 10 encounters between Everton and Newcastle, both sides have found the net on seven occasions, with just one 0-0 scoreline in 13 years.

A 1-1 stalemate can be backed at 6/1, with a 2-2 result further back 16/1. If you did fancy an unusual 0-0 draw for this fixture, then that is priced at 8/1.

Predicting where the goals will come from sees many options on offer, with Nikica Jelavic the favourite to open the scoring at 5/1.

His Belgian team-mate Marouane Fellaini is in good goalscoring form this season, and might be worth a punt at 11/5 to score at anytime.

For Newcastle, the normally predatory Papiss Cisse is yet to get off the mark at club level this season, although he netted an astonishing 25-yard header on international duty with Senegal.

He may feel his confidence is back after such a goal, and at 8/1 can’t be ignored to open the scoring. Strike partner Demba Ba is a notch back at 9/1 to break the deadlock.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.