Carlo Ancelotti clasped his hands to his chest in sheer disbelief. He was not alone. The Everton manager has inherited a team with a reputation for throwing points away but this was a spectacular and staggering implosion even by their standards. Two goals up in the 94th minute, in complete control against a Newcastle team devoid of attacking intent or options, yet held to a draw thanks to two goals in the final seconds from Florian Lejeune.
Steve Bruce cavorted on to the pitch in celebration of the heist before offering a sheepish handshake to his counterpart. “I lost the final of the Champions League after being 3-0 up,” the former Milan manager said. “So it can happen sometimes.” It seems to happen to Everton frequently.
The hosts were cruising towards a third win in three home Premier League games until a chaotic finale fuelled by weak goalkeeping from Jordan Pickford, poor game management, careless defending and Newcastle’s refusal to concede defeat.
The tale should have been one of redemption for Moise Kean, the 19-year-old striker who scored his first Everton goal in his 22nd appearance for the club and produced a display that earned a standing ovation from the Goodison Park crowd.
The match also provided another demonstration of Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s growing prowess as he scored his 12th goal of the campaign but it will be remembered for Everton conspiring to find another ridiculous way to squander points, confidence and momentum.
At 2-0 down Bruce introduced defenders Lejeune and Fabian Schar to audible grumbles from the away section. “Do you think I really wanted to do that?” the Newcastle manager asked. “We’ve got nothing else.” Both were asked to play out of position and Everton could not handle the extra physical presence that muscled into their penalty area at set-pieces.
Pickford failed to deal with a 94th-minute corner that resulted in Lejeune scoring with an acrobatic overhead kick. It should have been no more than an impressive consolation. But Everton offered Newcastle a second bite by conceding possession and cheap free-kick. Ancelotti’s substitutes, Oumar Niasse and Tom Davies, were both culpable and after Schar plus Isaac Hayden both threatened Pickford’s goal, Lejeune forced the ball over the line with the England keeper standing yards behind it.
“There’s no disputing we were second best for long periods and it was a real struggle but we hung on in there,” Bruce said. “We lack in certain areas but you can not fault their fight or endeavour.”
Ancelotti took consolation in Everton’s overall performance, much improved on recent showings, and the contribution of Kean but he should note that the lapses that cost his team victory are a recurring theme with this group of players. “It is true we could have stayed more focused on set pieces and it’s true we could have been more focused in the last minutes but I think the team played a fantastic game for all 90 minutes,” he said.
One of his many considerable tasks as the Everton manager is to nurture the raw talent that prompted the club to pay up to £29m for Kean in the summer. The Italian continued that process by handing his young compatriot only the fifth start of a difficult debut Premier League season and Kean repaid that faith with a fully committed display. His first Everton goal was a merited reward.
The breakthrough for the teenager and Everton owed plenty to the ingenuity of Bernard. The Brazilian took possession midway in the Newcastle half after Calvert-Lewin flicked on Djibril Sidibé’s searching ball. He released Kean with a deft lob over the visiting defence and, though the striker’s first touch gave Hayden chance to intervene, a sharp finish with his second touch beat both the wing-back and Martin Dubravka. Kean understandably erupted in joy, sliding on his knees in front of the Gwladys Street, while Ancelotti responded with a thumbs-up to the goalscorer.
Calvert-Lewin provided the cushion of a two-goal lead when Lucas Digne threaded a perfect pass into his stride in the second half. Jamaal Lascelles was unable to intercept at full stretch and the Everton centre-forward, his England credentials extolled by Ancelotti on the eve of the game, swept it inside the far post.
Everton wracked up a procession of chances for a third with Calvert-Lewin, Yerry Mina and Mason Holgate all going close. A foul by Calvert-Lewin on Emil Krafth appeared to result in a mobile phone being thrown on to the pitch but that was the least of Everton’s problems when Lejeune suddenly, inexplicably, transformed the game in the dying seconds.