---
title: "Everton 1-0 Newcastle United – Everton Player Ratings"
canonical: "https://readeverton.com/everton-1-0-newcastle-united-everton-player-ratings/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Alex Hives"
section: "Feature Writers"
published: "2017-12-13T22:27:50Z"
modified: "2017-12-13T22:27:50Z"
---

# Everton 1-0 Newcastle United – Everton Player Ratings

A tricky away game at St James’ Park faced us at the start of the week before we could return to home comforts come the 18th.

And we got through it very much unscathed with yet another clean sheet and excellent defensive outing. All of the back four – Jonjoe Kenny, Ashley Williams, Mason Holgate and Cuco Martina – were brilliant if unremarkable, making sure that Newcastle did not see any chances to score besides two heart-in-mouth moments with Matt Ritchie and Mikel Merino hitting the post in the first half.

Beyond that, the usual suspects in Allardyce’s setup, Wayne Rooney and the love of my life Aaron Lennon put in, once again, a very good showing as the two linked up well and such link up climaxed in an Everton goal that sealed the game after awful keeping from Karl Darlow.

It is truly insane, to be blunt, how Allardyce has managed to transform quite possibly the worst defensive unit in the Premier League into 3 clean sheets in 4 games, only being breached by Mo Salah, the PL’s top scorer.

Long may strong and stable (\*ahem\*) defence last.